April/May 2006 - Philippine Defenders Main

The
VOLUME 60
PITTSBURGH, PA — APRIL-MAY, 2006
HELLSHIPS MEMORIAL
NUMBER 5
The
Dedicated to those persons both living and dead who fought against
overwhelming odds against the enemy at the outbreak of World War II.
Official Publication of the
AMERICAN DEFENDERS OF BATAAN & CORREGIDOR, INC.
(INCLUDING ANY UNIT OF FORCE OF THE ASIATIC FLEET, PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO,
WAKE ISLAND, GUAM OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS, AND DUTCH EAST INDIES)
PUBLISHED 5 TIMES A YEAR
HONORARY OFFICERS
Paul Reuter ........................................................Honorary Vice Commander
HAROLD A. BERGBOWER
JOSEPH L. ALEXANDER, PNC
PAUL ROPP
PAUL REUTER
AGAPITO E. SILVA
Commander
8412 W. Planada Ln.
Peoria, AZ 85383
Sr. Vice Commander
9407 Fernglen
San Antonio, TX 78240
Executive Secretary
504-B North Thomas St.
Arlington, VA 22203
703-527-6983
Adjutant & Legislative Officer
5400 Vantage Point Rd. #316
Columbia, MD 21044-2696
Past Commander
1820 La Poblana, N.W.
Albuquerque, N.M. 87104
EVERETT D. REAMER
EDWARD JACKFERT, PNC
MARTIN S. CHRISTIE
RALPH LEVENBERG, PNC
Jr. Vice Commander
London Bridge Town
2301 S. Jamaica Blvd.
Lake Havasu, AZ 86403
National Treasurer
201 Hillcrest Dr.
Wellsburg, W.Va. 26070
304-737-1496
Necrology Committee Chrmn.
23424 Mobile St.
West Hills, CA 91307-3323
Special Projects
2716 Eastshore Dr.
Reno, NV 89509
Historian
1605 Cagua Drive N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87110
MRS. JEAN PRUITT
REV. ROBERT W. PHILLIPS
Merchandise Sales
109 Young Dr.
Sweetwater, TN 37874
Chaplain
1620 Mayflower Court A-418
Winter Park, FL 32792
MEMBERS OF THE INVESTMENT BOARD
Edward Jackfert
Secretary
Joseph A. Vater
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Henry Cornellisson
Charles Graham
Charles Dragich
Pete Locarnini
Charles B. Heffron
Carlos Montoya
All Incumbent State Commanders
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
504-B North Thomas St.
Arlington, VA 22203
703-527-6983
Reunion in St. Augustine
Dear Sir:
The group of Civilian POWs who were
imprisoned in Baguio, Camp John Hay, Camp
Holmes and Manila, Bilibid is having a reunion
in February 2007 in St. Augustine, FL. We
would like to know if there are any chapters of
ADBC in and around St. Augustine. We would
like to invite any members of ADBC to join us
but we are specifically interested in possibly
being speakers. Our group is planning to
reach out to local high schools to offer a program of information about WWII and the experience in the Philippine Islands of civilian and
military POWs.
We also plan to invite members of the 1st
CAV and 37th Division Inf. who rescued us, to
attend. Thanks for your help.
Frederick E. Crouter
346 Travis Lane, Lancaster, PA 17601
FLCROUCHAR@AOL.COM
2 — THE QUAN
ANDREW MILLER
DR. WILLIAM R. BRENNER
Surgeon
1006 State St.
Larned, KA 67550
JOSEPH A. VATER PNC
Editor of Quan
Co-Chairman Site Committee
18 Warbler Drive
McKees Rocks, PA 15136
412-771-3956
Fax: 412-875-6606
PAST NATIONAL COMMANDERS
*Harold Spooner
*Rev. Albert D. Talbot
James McEvoy
*M/Gen. E.P. King Jr.
Simme Pickman
Albert Senna
*Maurice Mazer
Joseph A. Vater
*Lewis Goldstein
*Albert C. Cimini
*Samuel M. Bloom, M.D.
*Kenneth J. Stull
*Harry P. Menozzi
*John F. Ray
*Samuel B. Moody
*Arthur A. Bressi
*John E. Le Clair
*James K. Cavanaugh
*Thomas A. Hackett
*Bernard Grill
Louis Scahwald
*Jerome A. McDavitt
John M. Emerick
*Joseph T. Poster
*John Bennett
*James D. Cantwell
Ralph Levenberg
*Elmer E. Long, Jr.
*Philip Arslanian
*John Rowland
*John Crago
Edward Jackfert
*John R. Lyons
*Ken Curley
Henry J. Wilayto
*Charles Bloskis
Arthur Beale
Andy Miller
*Joseph Matheny
*George Wonneman
*Frank Bigelow
*Charles L. Pruitt
Melvin L. Routt
James R. Flaitz
*John Koot
*Roy Y. Gentry
Edward Jackfert
Joseph L. Alexander
*Joseph Ward
Omar McGuire
John H. Oliver
Agapito E. Silva
Arrival and Departure Procedures for
American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor
May 2006
SuperShuttle Shared-Ride Van Service
Reservations are not necessary for arrival into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
1. Claim your luggage.
2. Proceed to the outer island (outside Baggage Claim at each terminal) sign
marked “VAN SERVICE.”
3. Guest Service Representative will meet you at each designated pick up location
and arrange SuperShuttle service to your destination.
4. Identify yourself to the SuperShuttle Agent/Driver as being with the “American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Group”
HOTEL: Embassy Suites Phoenix North
• Shared-ride van service can be provided at $15.00 per guest, per direction.
Vans accommodate up to seven guests with normal amounts of luggage.
Excessive luggage may require additional vehicles.
The pick-up location will always be at the hotel’s front entrance, unless otherwise
specified.
Hellships Memorial Tour
The Hellships Memorial Tour was arranged by Valor Tours,
Inc. and was comprised of four parts — Mindanao Extension,
Main Tour on Luzon & Corregidor, Taiwan Extension and
Japan Extension.
Mindanao Extension (January 13-16, 2006):
The Mindanao part began when 12 of us assembled in
Manila early on the 13th. Former POW Malcolm Amos and his
daughter, Blythe Hartsook, arrived from Singapore where they
had been touring and the others arrived from the USA. We
then flew on to Cebu City for our first stop in a four-day whirlwind tour “down south”. Our focus in Cebu was the old Spanish
Fort San Pedro to see where about 1,250 POWs were held
from June 17-21, 1944 during their trip from Davao Penal
Colony to Manila. As we stood on the walls of the fort and
looked down, it was hard to see how that many POWs were
kept there. Even so, it must have been better than the cargo
holds of the Hellships that held POWs in even less space.
Then we went back into Cebu City to see the shrine where the
“Cross of Magellan” is maintained in honor of famous Spanish
explorer Ferdinand de Magellan who was killed there in 1521.
Early on the 14th we flew on to Davao City, checked into
our hotel and then set out toward Davao Penal Colony
(DAPECOL). On the way we stopped at Carmen where we had
been invited as honored guests at their celebration of the
Battle of Ising Junction (fought during the liberation of that area
from the Japanese in 1945). We were very impressed by the
spirit of nationalism and the friendliness of the people of
Carmen. Although the celebration was enjoyed by all, it put us
behind schedule for our events of the day. At DAPECOL, still
an active penal institution with strict limits on where we could
go, we went straight through to the cemetery which is now a
pasture. We had no trouble determining where the various elements of the WWII POW penal colony were located. We could
see the stream that flows through the camp and we could see
the bed of the railroad (the rails are gone) that the POWs used
to go to and from the Mactan rice fields. We had to remain on
the main east-west road through the colony as we looked at
the area of the POW barracks and other parts of the colony.
This was the second of many stops where some of us paused
to reflect on the times when our relatives were there as a
POW.
It was getting late as we left DAPECOL and we were determined to find the Lasang Lumber Dock. Our guide took us to
the barrio of Lasang and began making inquiries. Soon we
were at the end on the dirt road and began walking as more
natives provided information. Finally a Filipino pointed to a
large chunk of concrete out in a fish pond and two concrete
beams on the other side as he informed us that was the dock.
We could not see the bay or even a canal, so we asked how
the Hellships got the POWs to this area. Then another Filipino
said to follow him as he led us to a levee where there were
several bancas on the other side and he motioned for us to get
into one. Ten of us got into a banca that looked like it could
hold about six persons. As some Filipinos pushed our banca
out into a channel, two others worked very hard to start the
engine. Finally we got into a channel that led to open water,
they got the engine started and ultimately we got out into
Davao Bay. When we got out to deep water, they stopped the
banca and said this is where the ships anchored. The POWs
(going to and departing from DAPECOL) were moved to or
from the dock on three barges — the same way lumber was
loaded and off-loaded. It was a moonlit night before we got
back to the site of the Lasang Lumber Dock on a day that we
will never forget.
On the 15th we started on a very scenic trip through the
heart of Mindanao going generally north-northwest from Davao
City on a new road until we joined the Sayre Highway at
Maramag. We followed the Sayre on to Malaybalay where we
spent the night. Several times during the day, we stopped for
photographs, to rest and to enjoy the sights.
The next morning (16th) we went back about 3 kilometers
south of Malaybalay to the site of Camp Casisang, which is
west of the Sayre Highway. This was the first POW camp for
most of the POWs captured on Mindanao. There is a memorial
marker on the Camp Casisang site and it can be seen from the
Sayre highway; however, preparations were being made for
construction, so the marker may be moved or missing soon.
Heading north on the Sayre Highway, we drove to Sumilao to
see the site of the surrender of the Mindanao Force by Gen.
Sharp on May 10, 1942. Then we went to the Del Monte
Plantation where we had lunch. In the afternoon we got a tour
of the Del Monte Plantation, saw the site of Gen. Sharp’s headquarters and went to the Bugo Docks — now inside of a large
pineapple canning facility owned by Del Monte. Bugo is where
the PT boats bringing Gen. MacArthur’s group from Corregidor
arrived in March 1942 and where the POWs from Camp
Casisang departed in October 1942 on their way to DAPECOL.
It was dark before we got to Cagayan de Oro to spend the
night. Early on the 17th we flew back to Manila to join the main
group for that portion of the tour.
Main Tour (January 17-24, 2006):
Our tour on Luzon began with Intramuros, the old walled
city, and ten a walk through Ft. Santiago, which is within
Intramuros. Fr. Santiago is a very old Spanish fort that was
home to headquarters of the Philippine Department when
World War II began. After a stop at Quipo Church, it was time
to return to the beautiful and historic Manila Hotel to get ready
for dinner and a tour briefing.
The next morning (18th) we drove through the Ft. McKinley
area to the Manila American Cemetery — a very impressive
sight. Following a wreath-laying ceremony at the Chapel, there
was time for each of us to visit graves and to find names of relatives and friends on the Tablets of the Missing. Needless to
say, there were not many dry eyes in the group. Later we visited Bilibid Prison. Bilibid is now the Manila City Jail so there
were restrictions on where we could go and where we could
take photos. Duane heisinger showed us where POWs stayed
when they were in Bilibid temporarily as they waited to board
one of the Hellships and where other POWs lived when they
were in Bilibid for long periods of time. We enjoyed one more
night of luxury in the Manila Hotel before moving on to lesser
accommodations.
On the ferry to Corregidor the next morning (19th) we had
excellent opportunities for photos of Manila Bay, Bataan and
then Corregidor as we landed at North Dock. On Corregidor we
used trolley-style buses that gave everyone good opportunities
for taking pictures. We got a tour of many of the barracks,
Coast Artillery emplacements, Pacific War Memorial Museum
in the “Topside” area and other locations. Then shortly before
sunset we went to Battery Grubbs (high point with an excellent
view toward the west) to watch a glorious sunset and take photos. After dinner at the Corregidor Inn, we took a night time tour
of Malinta Tunnel. Some of the tunnel laterals have been
restored and wax-museum style displays have been added to
show what certain areas looked like during the war.
The next morning (20th) we visited the site of the 92nd
Garage POW Camp and few other areas on Corregidor before
it was time for us to board a ferry for Mariveles and begin tracing the first of two routes of the Bataan Death March. From Km
Marker 0 to Mariveles, we drove eastward to Cabcaben and
then up the east coast of Bataan (stopping at several of the
Kilometer Markers for people with special interests there to
take pictures) to Balanga where we spent the night. We drove
back to Limay for dinner at Edna Binkowski’s Villa Edna and
entertainment by Filipino folk dancers.
(Continued on Page 4)
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 3
Hellships Memorial Tour (Continued from page 3)
On the 21st we visited the Mt. Samat memorial and cross
before going westward across Bataan to Bagnac. There we
began tracing the second route of the Bataan Death March,
from its Km Marker 0, to the junction near Pilar of the two
Death March routes. Thence, we followed the route to San
Fernando and saw the Railroad Station where the POWs
boarded rail cars for the trip to Capas. We were not able to
locate the sites of the jail and theater where the POWs were
held until the trains were ready; apparently those structures no
longer exist. The rail tracks are gone, but we had no trouble
seeing where they were and many friendly Filipinos were able
to confirm this. Then we drove on to Subic to check in our hotel
and get ready for the big day to follow.
On Sunday, the 22nd we got up very early to have a
wreath-laying ceremony above the Oryoku Maru soon after
daylight. This was a very emotional time. Duane Heisinger led
the ceremony including a prayer that was followed by the
wreath-laying and then a hymn sung by a group of six Filipino
Firemen. Following this ceremony we took a brief banca ride
around Subic Bay. Our tour group is very grateful to Kevin
Hamdorph who donated the use of his beautifully decorated
banca for this occasion. We got back in time for breakfast
before the dedication of the Hellships Memorial.
This ceremony was truly an international affair dedicating
the Hellships Memorial to POWs of all nations that were transported by the Japanese on the Hellships. The memorial is dedicated to POWs that survived and to those that died during
these tragic voyages. You could not have asked for a more
dignified ceremony with representatives of several countries
and several organizations placing wreaths at the memorial as
each was called to come forward. Duane Heisinger gave the
keynote speech. The memorial is a wonderful tribute and the
quality of workmanship is outstanding. All those that were
involved in fund raising, planning, design and construction can
be justly proud of a job well done.
After the dedication of the Hellships Memorial we visited the
nearby Hellships Memorial Museum and then took a bus trip
around the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which is a very impressive commercial accomplishment.
On Monday (23rd) we headed off again on a completely full
day. First we went to Ft. Stotsenberg and Clark Field, then to
Capas where we resumed tracing the route of the Bataan
Death March to its conclusion at Camp O’Donnell. Many of us
wanted to spend time at Camp O’Donnell thinking about the
tragic events that happened there. From Camp O’Donnell we
drove to Cabanatuan City and it was well after dark before we
got to our last hotel stay for the main tour.
Our last POW Camp site to visit (on the 24th) was
Cabanatuan Camp #1 and I think everybody in the tour group
had some type of connection to this camp. Malcolm Amos was
a POW there when the 6th Rangers accompanied by thee
Alamo Scouts and Guerrillas conducted the “Great Raid” to liberate over 500 remaining POWs. So we took many photos of
the memorials there. When it was time to leave Cabanatuan,
we took a route that allowed us to see the Pampanga River
and several sites that were important during the delaying
actions and the withdrawal into Bataan. We got back to the
Manila Hotel where the groups separated, with the main tour
group heading to the airport for the long flight home and others
preparing for their Taiwan and Japan Extensions.
Taiwan Extension:
Michael Hurst, Director of the Taiwan POW Camps
Memorial Society (www.powtain.org) and host for the Taiwan
Extension, reported the following:
We had a wonderful time during the two days we spent in
Kaohsisung. On January 26th we toured the harbor by boat
and saw where the Brazil Maru was docked and where the
Enoura Maru was moored to Buoy #4 when it was bombed.
We laid a wreath on the water over the spot and then sailed
past the site of the former Takao POW Camp.
4 — THE QUAN
In the afternoon, we visited the site of the former mass
grave where the men who died on the Enoura Maru (including
Duane Heisinger’s father) were temporarily buried, nd we had
a short moment of quiet there. We “planted” poppy crosses in
the sand and Duane led in a word of prayer.
Dedication of the “Taiwan Hellships Memorial” followed at
2:00 p.m. Michael Hurst told the story of the Taiwan Hellships.
Then director-General Wang of the Kaohsiung City Cultural
Affairs Bureau, representatives of the US and British
Governments, and the ROC Veterans Affairs Department gave
messages. Duane Heisinger spoke on behalf of the former
POWs and their families and then the poem “Dare We Forget”
was read by Orville Humfleet, the Commander of the local
VFW Post.
Following a prayer of remembrance and dedication, floral
wreaths were laid on the newly built memorial. The very moving ceremony concluded with the playing of Taps, a moment of
silence, Reveille and then the reciting of the “Ode to
Remembrance” by everyone present. We were thinking of all
those who were on the Hellships that passed through Taiwan
or had fathers or other relatives on those Hellships.
“Since Taiwan played such a key role in the saga of the
Hellships, it is only fitting that a memorial should be built here,”
Michael said. “This memorial will compliment the World War II
Hellships Memorial at Subic Bay to further tell the story of this
tragic part of history and to ensure that the memory of those
who suffered and died on the terrible Hellships will never be
forgotten!”
Japan Extension:
The following was received from Yuka Ibuki who escorted
the people on the Japan Extension. “I accompanied back
Everett (Reamer), Nancy (Brown) and David (Brown). This also
was a great team. Mr. Toru Fukubayashi and Mr. Yoji
Hanaoka, a reporter of the Mainiche Newspaper, met us at the
airport. Toru guided them around Sakai, Osaka, where Everett
was held, and Tanagawa, where Nancy’s father (David’s
grandfather) passed away. Nancy and David were in
Tokyo/Yokohama area for three more days, and visited
Yokohama War Cemetery guided by Ms. Taeko Sasamoto.
Everyone has gone home now after their fruitful visit, and I
miss them.”
Yuka has written an excellent and detailed article about this
visit to Japan and Kinue Tokudome has posted the entire article on their US-Japan Dialogue on POWs web site. To see the
complete article, which includes photographs, go to
http://www.us-japandialogueonpows.org/. Kinue was also a
member of the Hellships Memorial Tour.
Submitted by John B. Lewis (son of Lt. Col. John L. Lewis
who died aboard the Brazil Maru on January 25, 1945.)
————————
POW Descendants Attending the
Phoenix Convention
Once again the Descendants Group will be an active participant in this year’s ADBC Convention, May 16 through May 20,
2006.
Visit the registration area, learn about the Descendants
Group and join the listserve.
Volunteer! Very rewarding and a great way to meet descendants and other convention attendees. Call or email Dianne
Harrill at 864-576-4223 or eharrill@charter.net.
Attend the Descendants Group Brunch Friday morning, May
19, 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and experience a tour of the
Philippines as presented by descendants that made the journey this past January. Seating is limited so make your reservation soon by sending your payment of $25.00 to Nancy Kragh
at 51 Windrose Dr., Port Ludlow, WA 98365, or contact her
with questions at nkragh@hotmail.com.
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Hellships Memorial
This memorial is dedicated to the thousands of Allied prisoners of war who died while being transported aboard
Japanese ships during World War II.
Within three hundred yards of this memorial, toward the
southwest and in approximately eighty feet of water, lie the
remains of one of these ships, the Oryoku Maru. This ship is
the grave for more than 260 prisoners of war and hundreds of
injured Japanese soldiers, as well as Japanese women and
children who were returning home in December 1944. Enemies
during wartime, they are united in death by a tragic chapter
within the war in the Pacific.
The Japanese held many thousands of Allied prisoners of
war during World War II. As the war progressed and Japan
needed to supplement a dwindling labor force in the Home
Islands, many POWs were sent to Japan and Japanese-held
territories where they worked in factories, shipyards, as dock
stevedores and in mines, all as slave laborers. This was contrary to international wartime practice. More than fifty thousand
men, perhaps many more, were carried on all of these ships —
none of which was marked outwardly as a ship carrying POWs.
The journey generally took about fifty days.
Conditions on board were suffocating; men packed together
within small and darkened holds, they endured severe tropical
heat and lack of ventilation and had inadequate amounts of
food and water. Basic sanitary and medical provisions were
needed but were not available. Added to these inhumane conditions was the brutality of the guards, a repeat from the often
harsh treatment within Japanese prison camps in the
Philippines and elsewhere. Survivors of these ships describe
their time aboard as the most horrific chapter of their wartime
captivity, hence the name given to them, hellships.
As the United States and Allied forces escalated the campaign in the Pacific in late 1944 and early 1945, many of these
unmarked ships were targeted by submarines and aircraft.
About twenty thousand Allied POWs, including almost four
thousand Americans, died as a result of these attacks or of
weakness and illness. The seas often served as their final
watery graves.
Wording on the Hellships Memorial
This memorial stands in recognition of and in tribute to
those who were lost and those who managed to survive these
cataclysmic hellships. May this memorial also serve as a
reminder to future generations of the terrible personal cost of
waging war.
This memorial was established and is supported by former
prisoners of war of the Japanese, family and friends of those
who died, and those who survived their prisoner of war time.
Dedicated on January 22, 2006
————————
Bataan/Corregidor Gathering
After our last Reunion at Fontana, several couples mentioned the chance of a get together at a more convenient and
accessible location for all.
We have found the perfect place to gather in Pigeon Forge,
TN, close to a major airport (Knoxville) and interstate connectors centrally located.
The place chosen was Smoky Shadows Motel & Conference
Center. The date is Aug. 27-30. The reservation phone # is 1800-282-2121, and be sure to mention you are with the
Bataan/Corregidor gathering group to get the special rate we
have worked out. If you would like more information, call me at
828-479-6205 or e-mail me at waynec@graham.main.nc.us
Sincerely,
Wayne & WillaMae Carringer
————————
Reno Man Said to be Oldest
Ex-POW in U.S.
George Small, 98, survived WWII prison camps. On Friday,
about 80 people — including 15 other former POWs — celebrated Small’s 98th birthday.
“There are two secrets to living to celebrate your 98th birthday,” Small said. “One, be born with good genes. Two, live to
be at least 100.”
He is the oldest former prisoner of war in Nevada and might
be the oldest ex-POW in the nation, Veterans Affairs officials
said.
Although Small joked with the crowd Friday at the party at
the Nevada Air National Guard Base in Reno, his stories of the
Bataan Death March and his captivity in five POW camps
involved some of the most brutal atrocities of the war in the
Pacific.
Small was among 76,000 starved, sick and under-supplied
American and Filipino troops who surrendered in April 1942 in
the face of an overwhelming Japanese offensive on the Bataan
Peninsula. The prisoners endured a 55-mile march to prison
camps and were subjected to inhumane treatment by their captors, who considered surrender beneath contempt.
The Japanese military denied adequate food and medical
care to their prisoners and many captured soldiers were summarily killed with swords or bayonets at the whim of Japanese
soldiers, survivors said.
Small, who worked as a civil engineer after the war and
retired as a major in the Air Force Reserve, didn’t talk much
about those experiences over the years, relatives said. But in
2005, he took a writing course at Truckee Meadows
Community College.
‘Amazing experiences’
“His stories just came tumbling out,” said Carol Purroy, who
taught the class. “they are great stories, amazing experiences.”
In one of those stories, Small wrote about the day he buried
a fellow prisoner. It was the same day he looked at the bodies
with “wasted, sunken eyes” and vowed he would survive the
ordeal.
“Four of us lifted the litter that was supported by two bamboo
poles,” he wrote. “We carried the litter to the mass grave, lowered the poles and tilted the litter so the body slid off. The body
tumbled down the embankment until it rested at the bottom of
the grave. About 40 bodies were buried at the same time.”
The weary, starved pallbearers walked away from the mass
grave, he said.
“One man, more sensitive than the rest of us, called out,
‘let’s give them a salute.’ We all turned to the grave, came to
attention, and at the command … we all saluted our fallen
comrades.”
Small said he thought about the man he buried and about
the “callous, cruel and brutal treatment” of his captors.
“The starvation (the dead man) endured was the same we
were all facing,” he wrote. “ … I was suffering from severe
weight loss, malnutrition, beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, malaria,
dysentery, edema, intestinal parasites, jaundice and probably
other diseases.
“But my heart was beating. I was still alive and determined
to struggle for survival. I was not going to force my parents to
grieve for a lost son. I must survive.”
He wrote that he returned to his barracks, “determined to
overcome any danger that threatened my life.” He was liberated Sept. 10, 1945 after 1,244 days in captivity.
Chuck Fulkerson, director of the Nevada Department of
Veterans Affairs, said American citizens owe Small and all
other veterans a debt they can never repay.
“We owe them our standard of living and the freedoms we
now enjoy today,” he said. “We have these things because of
the sacrifices made by people like George Small and all the
veterans who served.”
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APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 5
A Tribute to Courage
Mukden Survivors 23rd Reunion
September 14, 15, 16, 17, 2006
Here is the plan so far!
Red Lion Hotel — Pasco, Washington
2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, WA 99301
Phone 509-547-0701
Web: www.Redlion.com
Thursday, Noon to 8 PM Check-in — Hospitality Room
Friday Morning, 10 AM — Board the bus to Walla Walla
for POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Jonathan M.
Wainwright VA Medical Center (bus ride one hour each way)
Friday, Catered Lunch & Wine Tasting — 12:00 Noon,
Three Rivers Winery (near Walla Walla)
Friday Afternoon — Return to hotel for rest and free time
Friday Dinner on the “Columbia Voyager” River Boat (this
is pending) (the cost for this is $50.00 per person so we are
looking for local donations to help cover the cost of renting the
boat) (More on this later.)
Saturday Morning after Breakfast — Annual Meeting
Saturday Afternoon — free time — Some vehicles and drivers will be available
Saturday Banquet — 6 PM social hour — 7 PM Dinner,
Red Lion Banquet Room, Music & Speakers
Sunday Morning Brunch and Departure
Rooms have been blocked for $89.00 per room single or
double.The hotel is just a few blocks from the airport terminal
and provides free shuttle service. The plan is to keep the registration fee at $50.00 which will include the banquet and music,
a 55 passenger bus for all day Friday, and lunch at Three
Rivers Winery. This may be stretching the budget a little but we
hope to get some help from local donations. We may have to
change the river boat dinner to something less expensive.
Let us know what you think. Send an email to:
jimirwin@charter.net or phone 509-529-2411. Jim and Hazel
Bogart can be reached at 509-783-5426. Jim’s eyes are beginning to give him trouble but he can still talk good.
Looking forward to seeing all of you in Washington state.
Jim & Shirley Irwin
————————
6 — THE QUAN
Dear Mr. Vater:
This is an answer to your request for information on memorials to honor the men who served in the Philippines.
We are fortunate to have a beautiful memorial in Lakefront
Park, located at the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and
Monument Avenue in Kissimmee, Florida. It is entitled “A
Tribute To Courage,” and is a bronze statue atop a black granite pedestal and base done by Sandra M. Storm. It consists of
three stark figures: an American and Filipino soldier propping
up each other, while a Filipino woman offers water from a
coconut shell and solace during the gruesome Bataan Death
March. Based on eyewitness accounts, a sentry clubbed and
beheaded her and bayoneted the two soldiers on the spot,
leaving their bodies to rot by the roadside. It was one of the
worst examples of Japanese brutality toward prisoners and
civilians. This memorial is the only commemorative statue in
the United States that acknowledges the bravery and heroic
stand shown by the Filipino and American forces, and the generosity and sacrifice of the Filipino people during World War II.
The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation, Inc. was
formed in Kissimmee, Florida to memorialize the bravery and
heroism of American and Filipino comrades-in-arms who
defended Bataan and Corregidor, and all who fought to defend
democracy in the Philippines during World War II. The large
Filipino community in Kissimmee, with Dr. Pedro I. Gonzales
as chairman, and the city fathers of Kissimmee were instrumental in obtaining this wonderful memorial.
Each year a great Filipino-American Friendship Day is held i
the park to honor the Filipinos and U.S. Veterans who fought
so gallantly during WWII. The members of American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor are always honored
guests.
This memorial is neither subsidized nor government-funded,
and dependent entirely on contributions from individuals and
corporations. A decorative wall and concrete pavement was
financed through the sale of paving bricks at $100 apiece. The
names and service units of military personnel who donate, or
the names and home states of others who buy are inscribed on
the bricks. These bricks will remind future generations of the
legacy of freedom and democracy fought for and won by the
inspiring courage of our World War II veterans.
The Bataan and Corregidor Veterans of Florida are honored
to have been a part of this great monument.
Sincerely,
Byron and Darlene Kearbey,
Past Secretaries FL ADBC & ADBC Defenderettes
————————
Update
Hi Joe,
Just wanted to let you know that my dad, Walter Lamm, is
still with us, and his holed up in the Alzheimer's ward of the
Salem, Virginia VA hospital.
Although he doesn’t have Alzheimer's disease, but suffers
from dementia, he is being treated in this ward. And he is being
treated very well. The Salem VA is supposed to be the best
facility in this part of the world for the treatment he receives.
Great work on The Quan. It is one periodical that dad always
looked forward to reading. In fact, he had compiled a library of
Quans. I have found nearly all of them at his house, but I have
yet to find the first year issues though.
Sincerely,
Walter Lamm, Jr.
————————
ADBC Web Site Changes
The ADBC Web Site lists many names, addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc. which enables members to locate
old friends and to send them e-mail messages, e-mails or phone calls. If you wat your name and/or address listed, contact your
ADBC National Chaplain for help. My e-mail address is frphillips@sprintmail.com.
The URL for our ADBC Web Site is:
http://www.west-point.org/family/adbc/
We invite you to visit our Site at its new location, meet some old friends, make some new ones, send us your biographical
sketch (digital photos welcome). Read about future conventions, reunions and meetings; find out how you can find help with your VA
claim; many more things. Go there for names and addresses of all of your elected and appointed officers. Send us your e-mail
address, etc. so we can post your name on the Web Site.
For more information, e-mail to at: frphillips@sprintmail.com or other Committee members; we will make sure that our Web
Master, John Lewis, receives the information:
Martin Christie: <retiree539@yahoo.com>
Warren Jorgenson: <wjorgy@earthlink.net> or
Don Versaw: <donversaw@yahoo.com>
————————
American Defenders of Bataan &
Corregidor — Annual Conference
Phoenix — North
2577 West Greenway Road,
Phoenix, AZ 85023-4222
602-375-1777
May 17th-21st, 2006
$79 + tax per night
Complimentary full Cooked-to-Order Breakfast Buffet
every morning and a nightly Manager’s Reception.
Conveniently located just off I-17, in the beautiful valley of the Sun,
and only 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix & Sky Harbor International Airport.
314 spacious two-room suites designed to provide the ultimate in comfort.
Every suite includes a private bedroom and separate living area with sofa-bed.
Enjoy the convenience of two televisions, two telephones, high speed internet,
wet bar, refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave,
iron & ironing board, and well lit work area.
Call for Reservations: 1-800-527-7715
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 7
Research for Book
WWII POWs Honor Saviors
Fort Benning, Georgia — Former World War II prisoners of
war honored their liberators from two U.S. Army units with a
memorial dedication ceremony last Friday, 55 years after the
plucky operation freed 512 men.
The Americans were held captive at a Philippine prison
camp northeast of Manila when they were liberated Jan. 30,
1945, by members of the 6th Ranger Battalion and the 6th
Army Alamo Scouts.
At a ceremony at the Rangers training headquarters at Fort
Benning, officials led by John Cook, one of the liberated
POWs, dedicated a bronze plaque with the names of 143 men
who participated in the operation, assisted by 284 Filipino
guerrillas.
The plaque will be installed on a granite memorial. “I waited
over the years to see what could I do to honor these men,” said
Cook, 79, a retired Army medic from San Bruno, California,
who spent 34 months as a prisoner.
The Rangers and Scouts took the Japanese by surprise
around dusk as a U.S. fighter plane swooped overhead to distract the guards at Camp Cabanatuan. The units then led the
prisoners 30 miles (50 kilometers) to U.S. lines, escorted by
the guerrillas.
No prisoners were injured in the rescue, during which two
Rangers died. About 500 Japanese soldiers were killed, Cook
said.
The liberation — which took less than 30 minutes — is still
recognized as an example of a virtually flawless special operation, according to Fort Benning officials.
P.S. As an operative for the AIB, I was one of the guerrilla
coordinators of the 2,000+ guerrilla (mixed forces) which liberated the Los Baños Civ. Intern. Camp on February 23, 1945
without casualties for the 6th Rangers on our side and the 11th
Airborne Paratroops (US).
————————
UNJUST ENRICHMENT
By Miss Linda Goetz Holmes
How Japan’s Companies
Built Postwar Fortunes
Using American POWs
Published by Stackpool Books
5067 Ritter Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
ISBN O-8117-1844-1
————————
8 — THE QUAN
Dear Dianne Harrill:
Please don’t take me off the Quan mailing list, even though
I’m not an Ex-POW!
I always read each issue thoroughly, as part of my research
for a book I’m writing, to be called Luzon Pilot, about the fall of
the Philippines. (My first book, Secret Mission to Melbourne:
November 1941 — listed on Amazon.com, and written under
my maiden name, Sky Phillips — describes the strategically
important trip of Gen. Lewis Brereton from Manila to Australia,
two weeks before Pearl Harbor.)
I’ve lived in the Philippines a total of five years; first before
WWII as an Army Brat, while my father was stationed at
Nichols Field outside Manila; secondly, as an Air Force wife,
when my husband was stationed at Clark AFB in the 1960s.
My husband, the late Lt. Col. William M. Beaven, was born at
Fort Stotsenburg, where his father was an Army physician. Bill
loved the Philippines and Filipinos, and always enjoyed wearing the beautiful cool barong tagalog dress shirt.
It’s good of you to volunteer for this important task, and I
hope you’ll find that many of the ADB&C members are still
alive and content in the knowledge of their sacrifice for their
country.
Good luck —
Yours sincerely,
Sky Phillips Beaven
————————
Tentative Schedule
Phoenix, Arizona
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Hospitality Host Bar
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
8:00 AM
9:00 AM- 3:00 PM
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
1:30 PM- 4:00 PM
7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Church Service
Registration
Executive Board Meeting
Membership Meeting
Hospitality Host Bar
Thursday, May 18, 2006
8:00 AM
9:00 AM- 3:00 PM
12:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Church Service
Registration
Western States Luncheon
Marines Dinner
Hospitality Host Bar
Friday, May 19, 2006
8:00 AM
8:30 AM-11:00 AM
9:00 AM- 3:00 PM
12:00 PM
7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Church Service
Descendants Brunch
Registration
Widows Luncheon
Quan Party & Dance Host Bar
Saturday, May 20, 2006
8:00 AM
10:00 AM-11:30 AM
6:30 PM
7:00 PM
Church Service
Memorial Service
Head Table Reception
Banquet
You need a seat assignment when you register so we know
how many dinners to order. There will be some unit activities we
will publish when arrangements are made.
————————
Richard Petty Leads 2006 National Salute
Legendary race car driver Richard Petty is chairman of the 2006 National Salute to
Hospitalized Veterans.
He will lead VA’s annual patient recognition program inviting the public to visit and
honor hospitalized veterans during National Salute Week, Feb. 12-18, and serve as
national spokesperson for the more than 140,000 volunteers serving veterans at VAS
facilities across the nation.
Known to stock car racing fans simply as “The King,” Petty is the most decorated
driver in the history of NASCAR racing. His illustrious career accounts for a record 200
victories and seven NASCAR Nextel Cup championships.
Today, he is busy as ever overseeing the operation of the car he made famous.
Bobby Labonte is now at the wheel of Petty’s #43 Dodge.
Racing is about winning, and Petty has proven he knows how to do that, but it is
giving back to the community and his fans that makes Petty “The King” of auto racing.
Wearing his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses, he is often sighted signing autographs or helping worthy causes.
There is no other person in NASCAR history who has had more impact on the
sport, on and off the track. Petty is a member of the National Motorsports Press
Association Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Auto
Racing Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He also serves as
chairman of the North Carolina Motorsports Association.
King Richard has seen his sport grow from the beaches of Daytona to the highbanked super speedways of Talladega. As Petty Enterprises develops under his watchful eye, it won’t be long before “The King” will once again be standing alongside #43 in
victory lane.
————————
Seeking Information
Dear Sir,
One of your subscribers, Barry Beautell
of Hide A Way, TX, gave me your publication and informed me of your organization
regarding the Defenders of Bataan and
corregidor. My father, Captain Harold B.
Wright, was stationed on Corregidor and
as a captive, was transported to Japan via
the Oryoku Maru. My grandmother was
told he died shortly after arriving at Moji.
I have little information concerning his
years in captivity and have not met a survivor who may have known him. Realizing
the years are passing, I hope I am not too
late to meet anyone with information
about him.
Also, if I qualify, I would like to become
a member of the ADBC and receive The
Quan. Please inform me of the current
dues and charges for the publication. My
e-mail address is herbhavens@aol.com.
Most Sincerely,
Sharron Havens
1629 Meadowlark Lane
Lindale, TX 75771
903-882-1767
————————
No Review of PTSD Cases
It’s That Time Again!!!
Start making your plans for the 40th reunion of the American Defenders of Bataan
and Corregidor. The meetings will be held June 15, 16 and 17 at the Best Western
Regency Hotel, 701 8th Street in Greeley, Colorado. Registration will begin 10:00 A.M.
June 15 in our hospitality room. Hank and Genie Cornellison will be our hosts this year.
A group of rooms has been reserved at the rate of $69.00 a room. Please identify
yourself as being with the designated group NW Chapter of ADBC to guarantee the
special rates we have been given. Reservations can be made by calling 970-353-8444
and must be made by May 16. Check in time is 3:00 P.M. Please call and notify the
hotel if you are arriving late. The Rocky Mountain Shuttle Service charges $30.00 each
way for pickup and delivery from Denver International Airport for anyone who wants to
fly in. Their number is 970-356-3366 or 888-444-3580.
The Steele family looks forward to seeing everybody and hopes you will all plan on
coming. It is always such fun! Please go ahead and make your reservations early so
we can give a count for the banquet. If something happens that you cannot attend you
will be given a refund.
********
A registration fee of $50.00 per person includes the cost of the banquet, mailings,
hospitality room and other miscellaneous expenses. Please make your check to ADBC
and mail to Rosemarie Steele, Box 491, Harlowton, MT 59036.
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Others in party: _________________________________________________________
In a move intended to ease anxiety for
veterans filing disability claims, Jim
Nicholson, Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs has determined that there is no need for an acrossthe-board review of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) files.
The determination was made due in
large part to the lack of evidence of fraud
in 2,100 randomly selected PTSD files.
After careful review of these files, it was
determined that most errors were more
administrative in nature, such as missing
documents rather than fraud.
“Not all wounds are caused by bullets
and shrapnel,” Nicholson added. “We
have a commitment to ensure veterans
with PTSD receive compassionate, worldclass health care and appropriate disability compensation determinations.”
————————
P.O.W.’s
Aug. 27-30, 2006, the 1st Gathering of
Bataan and Corregidor and former
Prisoners of War of the Far East (including Wake, Midway, Guam and other
islands) will be held this year in Pigeon
Forge, TN. Family, friends and guests are
welcome. For reservations at Smoky
Shady Shadows, TN, call 1-800-3621188. For information, call Wayne
Carringer, 828-479-6205.
————————
Dinner guests only — $20.00 ______________________________________________
Menu choices: Prime Rib __________
Grilled Salmon __________
————————
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 9
Town Honors
Veterans of
Bataan Death
March
Son attends in memory of his father
By SANDY STRICKLAND
Staff Writer
It was a 55-mile death march that went
down in infamy. And two Jacksonville
men were there last month for its reenactment in a small New Mexico town.
Ken Juro and his cousin, Michael
Rahaim, went to Deming, N.M., in memory of Juro’s father, who survived the infamous Bataan death march of World War
II. Leo Juro lived on the Southside until
his death in 2004 at 88.
Ken Juro decided to go to Deming after
reading an article in a military quarterly
about a memorial that the town of 9,000
was planning for Bataan-Corregidor veterans. In recognition of the many Deming
natives who served in the campaign, the
town had named its new elementary
school “Bataan.”
And now, town leaders were dedicating
a memorial walk of honor containing red
bricks engraved with names of campaign
veterans. Leo Juro, who was in the 59th
Coast Guard Artillery Unit with many New
Mexico residents, was among the honorees.
“Michael and I were so moved that we
cried the whole time,” Ken Juro said.
“There was even a man there who said
he remembered Daddy. It was just unbelievable that another generation went
through something like this for us.”
Leo Juro, a Japanese POW for four
years, seldom spoke about his wartime
experiences, his son said.
“He would say, ‘That’s old news. We
don’t want to talk about it.’ ”
Leo Juro enlisted in the 59th in 1939
after his father died and the family went to
live with his grandmother in Los Angeles.
He was in the Philippines when the
Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
After his ship was torpedoed off the
coast of Hawaii, he and other survivors
were captured and later taken to the
Bataan Peninsula, his son said.
In April 1942, he was among 75,000
U.S. and Filipino soldiers on Bataan,
many in emaciated condition, who were
surrendered to the Japanese. They were
forced to march for days through the jungle in scorching heat. Many were beaten
and denied food and water. Those who
fell behind were shot, beheaded, bayonetted or forced to look toward the sun for
hours, a practice known as the Japanese
American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, Inc.
(including any unit of force of the Asiatic Fleet,
Philippine Archipelago, Wake Island, Mariana Islands,
Midway Islands and Dutch East Indies. 12/7/41-5/10/42.
For Dues:
Edward Jackfert, PNS
Nat’l. Treasurer
201 Hillcrest Dr.
Wellsburg, W.VA. 26070
304-737-1496
Life Membership — $25.00
Subscription — Quan — $25.00 Yr.
Fill in all Blanks
For Merchandise Sales:
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Name (Please Print) _______________________________ Highest Rank _________________
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Life ____ Pt. Life ____ Subscription ____ Last POW Camp ____________________________
Bo-Lo-Ties — W/Logo......................... 12.00
Belt Buckle Decal ................................. 4.00
License Plates....................................... 4.00
Pins 3” X 2” ........................................... 6.00
Overseas Caps only sizes 67⁄8, 7.......... 28.00
Tie Tacks............................................... 7.00
Tie Bar .................................................. 7.00
Decal — Window .................................. 2.00
Decal — W/Logo ................................... 2.00
Caps, White W/Logo............................. 8.00
All items shipped require 15% postage
10 — THE QUAN
sun treatment.
“Prayer, prayer, prayer kept him going,”
his son said. “If Dad stumbled, he got
right back up. Daddy was a very disciplined person.”
Hundreds of Americans and thousands
of Filipinos died on the march. Those who
survived faced the horrors of the notorious Camp O’Donnell prison camp, Ken
Juro said. Because there wasn’t enough
water, thousands more died.
Because of the high death rate, the
Japanese transferred the Americans to
another infamous camp at Cabanatuan.
From there, they were sent to slave labor
camps on vessels known as “Hell Ships.”
There was no room to sit in the crowded
damp hulls, and most had diarrhea or
dysentery. Hundreds suffocated to death
or were killed.
Ken Juro said his father would use cigarette butts that he found as rosary
beads. Eventually, he was moved to
Yokohama, Japan, and was there when
the atomic bomb was dropped on
Nagasaki. Leo Juro was released shortly
after in 1945.
He was in bad health. His weight had
plummeted to 68 pounds and he was suffering from beriberi, jaundice and malaria.
He spent 61⁄2 months recuperating at an
army hospital in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Leo Juro’s mother had died
during the war. He had always wanted to
visit New York and so he headed east, his
son said. It was there that he went on a
blind date with Marie Rahaim, a
Jacksonville native who was working as a
bookkeeper at Macy’s Department store.
They married in 1949 and moved to
Jacksonville six months later. Leo Juro
raised two sons, worked for the U.S.
Postal Service for 42 years and, after
retirement, helped Ken Juro at his business, Rahaim’s Walls and Floors on San
Jose Boulevard. He helped coach basketball and baseball at Assumption Catholic
and Bishop Kenny schools. He joined the
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1689 on
St. Augustine Road.
After suffering kidney failure, he spent
the last 16 years of his life on dialysis.
Through it all, he always had a smile on
his face, said Rahaim, a Springfield resident.
But Leo Juro had never received the 18
medals and ribbons he was due for his
military service. True to his reticent
nature, he resisted attending a ceremony
in 2003 in which U.S. Rep. Corinne
Brown awarded medals to veterans who
had not received them.
“He wanted them to be put in a manila
envelope and mailed to him,” his son
said.
That’s when Marie Juro, his wife of 55
years, stepped in, telling him they were
going to the ceremony. They did and he
was glad, Ken Juro said. He died the next
year.
————————
Vets vs. Uncle Sam
Don’t make them fight twice
By TUCKER CARLSON
Lester Tenney has suffered for his country. In 1942, Tenney was a National
Guardsman serving on an American base in the Philippines. Captured by the invading
Japanese army, Tenney survived one of the most brutal episodes of the war, the Bataan
Death March, during which thousands of American and Filipino captives were murdered
or allowed to die of exhaustion and disease by the side of the road. Tenney himself was
crippled when a Japanese officer hacked at his shoulder with a sword.
After nearly dying in a POW camp, Tenney became one of 26,000 Americans loaded
into the airless hold of ships and sent to Japan where, according to court documents, they
became slave laborers for Japanese companies. In Tenney’s case, he shoveled coal in a
mine owned by Mitsui. Tenney was forced to work 12 hours a day on starvation rations,
and was beaten by civilian workers, often with a pickax, hammer or chain. At one point, he
was sentenced to death by decapitation for the crime of seeking extra food, only to be
spared at the last moment by capricious guards. When the war ended, Tenney finally
returned to the United States. There, he found that his wife had married another man.
Tenney managed to rebuild his life, becoming a respected author and college professor. But decades later, he still wakes up some nights screaming.
In 1999, Tenney and fellow POWs filed suit in California against Mitsui and other
Japanese companies after the state legislature opened the door for victims of slave labor
to sue multinational corporations. It wasn’t Tenney’s first attempt at seeking compensation
for his suffering. Shortly after the war, he had petitioned the U.S. government for help and
was ignored. Now he was thwarted again: His suit was undermined by the Justice
Department.
In other words, the country that Lester Tenney served in battle took the side of the
Japanese company that tortured him. Consider this for a moment: Frivolous lawsuits by
the thousands are filed every year in this country, yet the federal government rarely
attempts to block any of them. Apparently it’s fine for people to shamelessly sue restaurants for serving overly hot coffee. But when elderly combat veterans seek compensation
for the torture they endured, the Justice Department swoops in to prevent it.
Our government lawyers are quick with an argument, of course. A 1951 treaty with
Japan slams the door on al claims by “Allied powers and their nationals” against “Japan
and its nationals.” Translation: Give it up, vets. You don’t have a case.
Or do they? Many members of Congress say that the treaty applies to claims
between governments or cases where governments act as intermediaries, but doesn’t
prevent private suits by individuals against Japanese companies. They also point out that
our treaty with Germany didn’t prevent slave laborers there, mainly Jews, from seeking
redress. Two years ago, the House passed a bill (following a unanimous resolution by
both the House and Senate) to give the POWs a green light to go after a settlement with
their tormentors.
That ticked off the Clinton Administration. Allowing the suits to go forward “would
have adverse foreign policy consequences,” said a State Department lawyer. The bill
never made it out of Congress.
Whoever has the stronger legal case, it’s clear who has the moral high ground. How
did our government get into the business of signing away the rights of American soldiers
who seek justice against torturers? And why, in case after case brought by survivors of
Japanese forced labor, is our government in the thick of the fight to defeat them?
After the lawsuit was filed, an army of lobbyists for Japanese corporations descended
on Washington within months, and the U.S. government listened. Last summer the Justice
Department sent attorneys to California to work against veterans and on behalf of Mitsui
and another Japanese corporation, Mitsubishi, which is also accused of using slave labor
during the war. At a hearing in Washington a few months later, the State Department took
the same side — Japan’s.
The veterans, all over 80, were crushed and bewildered. “I hate our government’s
guts, personally,” former POW George Cobb told the San Francisco Chronicle. “When
they signed away my rights to sue these companies, they used me.” Sen. Orrin Hatch
says the government’s position is “ridiculous,” and he is presently considering putting a
new resolution before the Bush Administration.
It’s not the first time the government has let down veterans, as anyone who has
toured one of the country’s deteriorating VA hospitals knows. It took until 1996 for the
Pentagon to acknowledge that American troops serving in the 1991 Gulf War may have
been exposed to nerve gas in combat. In the meantime, many suffered mysterious, debilitating, and in some cases fatal health problems.
And it wasn’t until 2002 — nearly 40 years after the fact — that the Defense
Department confessed to conducting Cold War tests of chemical and biological weapons
that could have imperiled the health of American servicemen. In many cases, career service veterans of World War II and Korea are still fighting the government to make good on
the promise of lifetime medical care.
Can You Correct
These Addresses?
Robert Coshow
150 SE Williamson Dr. Apt. 107
Prineville, OR 97754-9134
Mr. George S. Damgaard
5201 W. Gilmore Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89130-2902
Richard A. Denning
725 4th Ave. E.
Shakopee, MN 55379-1531
Billie E. Emerick
361 N. Catus Road
Apache Jct., AZ 85219
Augustin R. Gagnon
6 Dewberry Dr. Apt. 221 B
Presque Isle, ME 04769-3193
James R. Hall
12 Luana Road
Joliet, IL 60433-3118
Warren J. Kieffer
13866 Redland Blvd.
P.O. Box 6146
Moreno Valley, CA 92554-6146
Herbert C. Kent
PO Box 607
Benge, WA 99106-0607
William Rinehart
4625 W. 4100 St.
West haven, UT 84401-8822
Jay Rye
2100 Fowler Ave. Apt. 101
Clovis, CA 93611-4081
Donald Shaw
240 E. 3rd Street #40
Tustin, CA 92780-3623
Nevin N. Smith
P.O. Box 242
Edinboro, PA 16412-0242
Capt. John Tuggle, USN Ret.
3700 N. Capitol St. NW #1084
Washington, DC 20317
Jack R. Yager
HC 70 Box 158
Glorieta, NM 37535-9616
All of this is worth remembering at a
time when our country is again under
attack from foreign enemies. The hundreds
of thousands of soldiers who have shipped
off to fight the war on terrorism have made
a bargain with the rest of America: They
agree to risk death for our freedom. We
agree not to betray them when they come
home. it’s time to live up to our end of the
deal.
Tucker Carlson, a regular columnist
for Reader’s Digest, also co-hosts CNN’s
“Crossfire.”
Write
to
him
at
outrageous@rd.com.
————————
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 11
TWICE FORGOTTEN
BY JOHN F. KIDD AND ERWIN C. WINKEL, M.D.
Twice Forgotten is a true story of a young sailor
who grew up to fast.
John F. Kidd enlisted in the U.S. navy in 1939
amid the patriotic fervor of the times. Longing for
adventure and excitement, Mr. Kidd soon found
himself assigned to duty in the Orient in the Pacific.
He served in the Bataan Peninsula and later captured on Corregidor by the Japanese and held as a
prisoner of war for three and one half years.
In a remarkable lighthearted and often humorous
style, John F. Kidd and Erwin C. Winkel, II, M.D.,
tell the story of one sailor’s brutal treatment at the
hands of his captors. John F. Kidd retired as a Chief
Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy. He lives in
Houston, Texas, where he has served as a past
commander of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter and
State Commander of the American Ex-POW’s of
Texas. He has spoken to school groups about his
internment during World War II.
Erwin C. Winkel, M.D., a native Houstonian,
spent two years on active duty in the U.S. Army
Medical Corps during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
JOHN F. KIDD
25411 Beaverwood Drive
Spring, TX 77373-8821
Please send me ________ copies of TWICE
FORGOTTEN at $13.95 (U.S. $) per copy plus
$3.00 shipping for the first copy and $1.25 shipping for each additional copy.
NAME __________________________________________
ADDRESS _______________________________________
_______________________________________________
CITY ___________________________________________
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Check or Money Order Enclosed.
Hellships Memorial Dedication
The last Quan had pictures from the
recent trip to the Philippines where four
former POWs, thirty POW descendants
and other family members visited various
POW locations in Mindanao, Manila,
Luzon, Taiwan and Japan. But the focus
of this trip for this group of over sixty people was the event of Sunday, January 22
with the dedication of the Hellships
Memorial. On the now quiet sea lapped
shores of Subic Bay and located fifteen
feet from the bay in a protected and
prominent east-west direction the impressive marble and granite memorial is now
in place within this special space made
available by the local Philippine municipality. A permanent, and now sealed,
capsule contains pictures, notes and
other items brought and sent by many for
the Memorial dedication. Carved into four
imposing upright monoliths are descriptive words telling the hell ships’ story. The
Memorial is dedicated to all who died and
those who survived these ships and will
provide some understanding to those who
12 — THE QUAN
pass by of those difficult POW days of
WWII. Several of us gave dedication presentations preceded by the invocation of
90 year old Fr. Reuter himself a civilian
internee of the Japanese in the
Philippines. Military representatives and
embassy personnel from numerous countries whose native sons were on the hell
ships were also present.
Earlier on January 22 over twenty of us
conducted a short service and laid
wreaths over the nearby underwater
remains of the Oryoku Maru . Three
descendants with us lost fathers here.
Others of us laid symbolic wreaths for our
fathers, brothers, uncles and grandfathers
who died within one of the POW camps or
one of the many other hell ships. Chuck
Towne, an army corpsman and survivor
of the Oryoku Maru series of three ships
of that infamous December 1944-January
1945 trip was present to represent comrades of those lost.
Thank you again for your contributions
which made the Memorial possible. Cost
of construction was a little over $30,000.
We will continue to accept donations
which will go towards consideration of
Memorial additions, expanding a hell ship
presentation in a nearby museum and for
Memorial upkeep.
Duane Heisinger
————————
Veterans’ New ID Cards Help
Battle Identity Theft
The card, formally known as the
Veterans Identification Card (VIC), has the
veterans’ photo on the front and identifies
them as enrollees in the VA’s health care
system. The card includes the words “service connected” under the photo if the veteran has a service-connected disability.
Veterans should request the new card
at their local VA medical center.
Processing will take five to seven days
once eligibility is verified. The existing
cards will remain valid until veterans
receive their new cards.
————————
My Bilibid Experience
July 1, 1942-March 1, 1943
Paul W. Reuter, National Adjutant, ADBC
Old Bilibid Prison is located in one of the older sections of Manila, about one-quarter mile from the Passig River. A new prison
had been built, at a rural location, before the war began, but an excess of clients prevented closing of the old institution. Real estate
wise it occupied about four city blocks. The prison buildings were set out like spokes of a wheel reaching out from a central building
that housed the administration sections with its guard cupola perched on top. This wheel was divided down the middle with one half
used for the POW prison and the Japanese using the other half. In the corners, formed by a high wall enclosing the entire wheel,
were “L” shaped buildings used to house prisoners. Guard towers were situated on top of the walls at the corners and the walls were
topped with a high voltage-low current electric wiring system, set up by prisoners (WO Earl Swiezer, USN), to prevent serious injury
if an escape were attempted. Entry to the compound was made from a back street off Quezon Boulevard through an archway under
the guards building much like the sally-port in a military casein. The spoke buildings were about 120 feet long, twenty feet wide with
high ceilings perhaps twelve feet high. The “L” shaped corner buildings were about forty feet on the short leg and twice that length
on the long leg. There were metal bars on all windows. The buildings had concrete walls and floors with metal roofs. In the prison we
were subjected to the noises and smells of the bustling city. On the outside of one wall, the City Market was located.
I arrived at Bilibid Prison on July 1, 1942 from a jungle road-building detail in Tayabas Province in Southern Luzon. The prison
had been converted into a Hospital of sorts, (there were doctors, corpsmen, and wards but woefully short on supplies, medicines
and foods). The hospital was staffed by the same medical unit from the naval hospital at Cavite that I met in Pasay Schoolhouse on
my way down to Tayabas. This hospital unit had many casualties to care for after the initial bombing at Cavite and they were either
unable to deploy to Bataan or Corregidor, or someone forgot to order them to move when Manila was evacuated, by order of
MacArthur, around Christmas 1941.
There was a ward housing a significant number of amputees and other disabled men. These men were wounded before
Manila fell but they were unable to make the trip out on the last hospital ship. Many of the disabled people were from the campaign
on Corregidor. The prisoners captured on Corregidor had passed through Bilibid about a month previously on the way to a new
prison camp located near Cabanatuan, Nueva Evija province.
I arrived at Bilibid aboard a truck with 10 other patients from the Tayabas detail. We began with 12 patients but one man died
on the truck and his body was dumped along the road near Laguna de Bay. On entry to the hospital I was checked for ailments. My
weight was 112 pounds, down from 208 just seven months earlier. That is a net loss of 96 pounds in only seven months or almost 15
pounds per month. Unfortunately, for four of those months, I was engaged in war operations on Bataan and supposedly being fed by
the U.S. Army. My ailments list included malaria followed by dysentery, pellagra, scurvy, enlarged heart, beri-beri (both wet and dry),
scabies and anemia, the result of severe malnutrition.
Malaria and its complications proved to be the worst of these ailments. Medical supplies were in so short supply that a prophylaxis of Quinine, to prevent further attacks of malaria, was unavailable. At this time I had recurrent attacks of malaria about four to six
days apart. While a patient was in the attack phase Quinine was made available on a limited basis. Dysentery and diarrhea did not
trouble me extensively while in Bilibid. Once the initial condition was arrested the improved hygienic conditions in Bilibid reduced
chances of recurrence.
Pellagra and scurvy were the results of vitamin deficiency. Scurvy by far was the most painful of all these ailments. Sensitive
areas of the skin such as mouth, underarm, neck areas and scrotum were affected. On entry to Bilibid effects of scurvy were so bad
that blood oozed through the scrotum so much I had to stand with legs spread so the scrotum would not touch the legs. At times it
was almost comical to see grown met sitting with legs spread fanning the scrotum with a mess gear cover to get some measure of
relief.
The enlarged heart, being a hidden affliction did not cause me much mental anguish because I could not see it and there were
many visible problems to cause concern. The doctor was very concerned about the heart problem. He ordered me to use a duck and
bed pan but I staunchly refused to lower myself to that level when I could still walk. Later on this heat problem became more serious
when an element called discompensation developed.
Beri-beri is a nutritional disease, or rather an effect or affliction, that apparently covers a multiple of body system malfunctions.
In Bilibid my problem was with the wet type of beri-beri whose distinguishing mark was the swelling of the tissues beginning with the
feet and proceeding up the legs, torso and eventually to the head. My swelling extended to the stomach area. Dry beri-beri was
characterized by intense burning of the soles of the feet and itching sensation of the skin. My stint with dry type came later in my
imprisonment.
Scabies, like their American cousin, the chigger, caused intense itching, subsequent scratching and infection. The Bilibid
method of attacking these pests consisted of complete coverage of the body with a thick Sulphur paste. Although the problem was
not life threatening, for me the treatment used contributed to a dangerous situation I became exposed to weeks later because the
skin retained a yellow tone similar to jaundice. The sulphur material remained on the body for three days, then a wash off and
inspection followed. This treatment was repeated once then the level of scabies was considered acceptable.
After the medical screening I was assigned to Ward 11, one of the “L” shaped buildings in the ar corner of the walled compound. By far I mean it was located most distant from the entry gate. The building was still standing and in use in 1982.
Wooden platforms six inches from the concrete floor were against the walls through the entire perimeter of the building. The
platforms extended toward the center of each side leaving about eight feet of area in the center aisle. The center area between the
wooden platforms had cots and metal barracks type beds placed parallel to the outside walls. The most serious patients, or those
who required special care, were assigned these cots. Patients on the platforms along the walls had straw filled mattresses to lie on
at night, but during the day they were to be rolled toward the wall. There were two doors to the building, one each near the end of
each leg. An inside latrine was located at the end of the longer leg. It consisted of a trough urinal and two elliptical holes in the concrete floor for solid waste.
Cots and beds were located at the end of the short leg. These beds were occupied by a group of wealthy civilians, about twenty of them. There was a university professor, an Asiatic area automobile executive (Packards), some oil company executives, and
many mining engineers. One civilian was a black mining engineer who came to the islands following the Spanish American War in
(Continued on Page 16)
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 13
Persons on the Mindanao
Extension
Hellships Memorial Tour
List of Tour Members
14 — THE QUAN
(January 11-17, 2006)
Malcolm Amos
Stephen Blakeslee
Bill Cahill
John & Jane Cambus
Blythe Hartsook
John B. Lewis
John L. Lewis
Steve & Lee Pruskauer
John Whitehurst
Nancy Wood
Persons on the Main Tour
(January 17-24, 2006)
All persons on the Mindanao
Extension plus:
Anthony Astorgano
Edna Binkowski
Nancy & David Brown
Caroline Burkhart & husband, James
Winters
Edward Dougherty
David Erickson
Dick Francies
Wes Freeman
Glenn & Ryan Frizzell
Fred Guyer
John Heaton
Duane & Judith Heisinger
Doug Henderson
Michael Hurst
Yuka Ibuki
George Kenaston
Steve & Marcia Kwiecinski
Judith Massello
Jordan McDavitt
Linda McDavitt
John & Barbara Neiger
Eugene Nieto
Donald & Nancy Parrish
Mark Pruskauer
Everett Reamer
Bob & Betty Reynolds
Karen Shultz
Gerry & Bonnie Schurtz
John Shively
Peg Skelly
Alfred & Maxine Stanley
George Steinrock
Carla Stevenson
Kinue Tokudome
Charles Towne
Henry Vaccaro
Don & Hanna Witherspoon
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 15
My Bilibid Experience (Continued from Page 13)
which he fought in the Philippine Campaign. He was an outcast to the other civilians and was treated rather badly. These civilians
were wealthy and had access to funds and outside sources of foodstuffs, which the other patients were denied. Some shared the
largess with the GI servant types who hung around them.
In the center alignment of beds and adjacent to my platform position there was a young soldier from Corregidor who had a bullet wound through his foot which prevented him from walking, and a similar bullet wound through the palm of his left hand which
forced his hand to form a permanent cup. All persons viewing this soldier pitied the man and the plight he found himself in and invariably donated foodstuffs to him and his brother. An uninjured brother accompanied and nursed the patient. One day about two
months after my arrival, a captain from Corregidor entered the ward and saw the soldier. The captain became enraged at seeing the
attention the soldier was receiving and told the soldier he would receive a court-marshal upon return to American military control. He
then informed the ward that the soldier’s wounds were self-inflicted and made when the soldier was ordered out of the tunnel on
Corregidor to help fight the invading Japanese.
There were two doctors to serve Ward 11, both Navy doctors from Canacoa Naval Hospital at Cavite Naval Base, which was
located on Manila Bay about fifteen miles from Manila. The oldest doctor, Lt./Cmdr. Robert Hogshire, was very competent in his job
and did not hesitate to inform his patients exactly as to their medical status. The younger doctor, Lt. Greenman, handled the most
serious cases. He was very interested in the unusual physical ailments the patients were exposed to. Lt. Greenman always carried a
record book in which he kept meticulous daily records of the most interesting cases. Had Dr. Greenman lived through prison camp
his writings would have been of great value to prisoners appealing disability claims. My doctor was Lt./Cmdr. Hogshire aided by a
Navy corpsman named Windham.
There were plenty of patients assigned to the ward. It was always full. Many patients were from the Tayabas detail, especially
in the early days, then patients began coming in to Bilibid from the local working details like Nichols Field where a runway was being
built by prisoners, and from nearby Neilson Field. John Poole, my longtime friend from Hickam Field, had a bed about twelve feet
from me. He was in such poor condition upon arrival from Tayabas that he was given a bed rather than the floor platform. John did
not volunteer for the road building detail as I had, but signed up just to accompany and care for me. He was sent to Bilibid on the first
group because he was unable to work on the road. His health deteriorated rapidly after I arrived in Bilibid and the last two weeks
before he died (8/31/42) he was in and out of coma status. I tried to feed him constantly but in his delirium he would not chew or
swallow. The flies in Bilibid were terribly aggressive and I spent most of my time nursing John and keeping flies from entering body
openings to lay their eggs. When John died the corpsman and I carried him to the graveyard and buried him. He did not weigh more
than 65 pounds.
In the corner where the “L” turned, a young GI lay on a bed elevated on about a fifteen degree incline for some reason. He
was so swollen from beri-beri that his throat muscles were constrained and he could not speak. Just before he died the skin on his
neck split, reducing the swelling in his head, and I recognized him as a fellow radio-man named John Wells from Hq. Sqdn. 19th
Bomb Group. We had worked a radio station at Little Bagio on Bataan in January/February, 1942. He recognized me as I passed his
position on my way to the latrine because his eyes followed me all the way. I did not recognize him until the fluid drained from his
head. He did not regain consciousness and died the next morning. His condition, with all that excess fluid build-up, scared me so
much that for the next eight months I did not lay flat on my back in far that the excess fluid in legs and abdomen would drain to my
head as in John Wells case. There was a fellow who yelled at night, “Burwell wants Lugoa”. He was badly ‘teched in the head’ as
they usually say. At the door near the latrine, a Filipino Scout sat on the floor every day playing a four string mandolin and singing
“I’ll be seeing you in Apple Blossom Time”.
The wash stand was located outside along the wall. Here clothes were washed, if you had any, and the necessary personal
cleaning was accomplished there. Food was prepared in a central mess about 200 feet from the ward and carried in buckets to the
various buildings. For the first meal of the day, Lugao was served. Lugao, a specialty of Bilibid, was rice cooked mushy to a consistency of oatmeal. When there was salt available it was barely palatable. For our other meal, the rice was steamed in large vats. Each
patient received a mess kit of each concoction. Occasionally some side dish was available, such as soup, water cress, diacon, etc.
The rice was of the highly polished variety, which is traditional in the Far East, and very wormy. The rice was added to boiling water
in large cast iron bowl-shaped cooking vessels, brought back to boil again, then covered tightly and steamed as the fire was allowed
to go out. After a suitable period the cover was removed, the rice removed and the vessel scraped. The charred rice scraped from
the vessel was fed to patients suffering from diarrhea type disorders. The rice as mentioned before was very wormy, which bothered
many of the eaters. Some people took hours picking through the mess kit of rice to remove every worm, which, being white and
about one-half inch long were difficult to spot except for the two beady black spots on the front of the worm. For a few days I tried
picking out the worms, then I adopted a new policy for worms. I scanned the top of the mess kit and flicked off all worms, then I ate
the rest of the rice without looking for any worms. Hordes of flies tried to join in the meal and were a constant shoo-off. The men
from the 14th Bomb Sw., who came through Bilibid, from Mindanao, in October of 1942 would not eat the Lugao and some turned
down plain steamed rice, for they had been receiving better rations in Mindanao. I picked up many double rations for a couple of
days. This diet did not contain fruits, fresh vegetables or greens, therefore it was equal to our diet on Bataan.
The Navy medical staff performed in an outstanding manner considering the circumstances under which they functioned.
Medical supplies were almost nil. The ailments, diseases and complications of these ailments were common to those medical people
trained and living in the Far East but were only textbook elements for American trained medical personnel. Few doctors were familiar
with the advanced effects of prolonged malaria or the effects of uncontrolled scurvy and pellagra, amoebic and bacillary dysentery,
and all asked, “What the hell is beri-beri?” The staff did excellent work adjusting treatments between multiple combinations of unfamiliar ailments with the limited selection and meager quantity of drugs available through the Japanese.
Dr. Robert Hogshire, L./Cmdr. USN and his Corpsman Windy made rounds each day around mid-morning. If the condition
warranted, usually every day, he would return in the afternoon to check some patients. On morning rounds early in my stay I could
tell he was concerned mostly about my enlarged heart, but my main concern was the edema, or swelling, in my legs and body. This
swelling extended to the navel upon entry to Bilibid and continued to increase. I would gauge the severity of the swelling by lightly
pressing a finger into the leg above the knee for a few seconds then estimate how much time passed before the indentation popped
out. Usually it took more than an hour for the dimple to flatten out. Upon the death of Wells, my radio operator shift man from Little
Bagio on Bataan, when I saw the result of the swelling continuing to the upper body area, I became so concerned that I would not
(Continued on Page 17)
16 — THE QUAN
The Chaplain’s Corner
“In Abundance”
The Jewish Feast of the Passover celebrates the release of the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt. Moses was their
appointed spiritual leader. The name Passover refers to the night in which the angel of death would pass through Egypt, taking the
fist-born of all Egyptian families, but passing over the homes of the Israelites whose homes were marked by the blood of a lamb over
the entrance door. Hence the term Passover Lamb.
For the next 40 years God fed the Israelites abundantly in the wilderness; their needs were fully met. They received just the
right amount of food and water needed to sustain their lives. God’s chosen people would come to know of His abiding love for them;
they would also learn of their dependence upon Him. Abundant need; abundant love; abundant provision for their needs.
Many years later Jesus would gather His followers on the fields overlooking the Sea of Galilee and perform His “Miracle of the
Loaves and Fishes”. Beginning with only a few donated fishes and loaves of bred, Jesus fed some five thousand people. The miracle was that there was more food left over than when He started. There was an over-abundance! Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the
Passover Lamb.
This is much more than a story of a creating much food from a small offering. This story points to His giving His life for the sins
of many, with an abundance of forgiveness, plus much left over. His mercy extends beyond our comprehension, His redemption covers the sins of all of us, with much left over.
So God reveals Himself most perfectly as the God of Love through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are the recipients of that love
and of that redemption.
Abundant Love and Abundant Redemption; both are ours when we call Him Lord.
In His service,
+Fr. Bob Phillips, SSC
National Chaplain and Web Site Chairman
American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, Inc.
————————
My Bilibid Experience (Continued from Page 16)
lay down to sleep, always sitting upright and sleeping in a propped up position. This swelling condition was, to me, probably brought
on mostly from ignorance of the root cause of the problem. The medical people were not familiar with it either. I visualized blood vessels, tissue, ligaments, etc., all floating around in the edema fluid and upon return to normality these floating elements would reestablish themselves in some helter-skelter manner that would cause many problems. Most of my clothing had long ago been lost or
disposed of. All that remained were a uniform shirt and a cut off pair of pants, a beat up pair of shoes and two pairs of socks.
Because of the swelling these clothes could not be worn. Instead I wore a loin-cloth which is the Japanese underwear. It consisted of
a strip of cloth about sixty inches long and twelve inches wide with strings attached at one end. It was worn by placing the end of the
cloth with the string end at the back and then tying the string around the waist at the front, then passing the cloth between the legs
and looping it over the tied string. At least the pressure on the swelling was decreased by wearing the loin-cloth. There was no medicine to treat this condition. I suppose a better diet would be the best treatment but food was our chronic shortage, both in volume
and in nutritional value. I was troubled with the edema for about three months before beginning to return to a more normal condition.
The men from the 14th Bomb Sw. stayed only a few days leaving about the middle of October for Kawasaki, Honshu, Japan.
My health continued to deteriorate and about one week after they left the doctor began sending the corpsman back to draw blood.
He suspected anemia to be the problem and was monitoring the red blood count, which over a four day period, dropped to a perilous
level. On October 23 the doctor returned to the ward after the blood count to tell me that the count was very low, that he could not do
anything with medication available, that the only treatment remaining was for a blood transfusion. He asked my permission to proceed and I asked, “Who in this prison, under these conditions, could afford to give blood?” The doctor and corpsman took me to the
surgery ward where I lay on one table and the donor lay on another table with a tube connecting us and I received 355 cc’s of blood.
The donor was Earl Swiezer, WO, USN and I credit him with saving my life.
Following the blood transfusion there occurred a subtle change in diet. The Japanese, as with most Orientals and their diet,
used polished rice with the coverings removed to make the rice sticky, enabling the balling of rice when using chopsticks. The supply
of wormy white rice was becoming scarce for the Japanese so the prisoners were forced to use “red” rice instead of white rice. The
red rice was hulled only once, giving the rusty coloring, and leaving the nutritional values of the rice grain intact. The vitamins available with the rusty rice, along with the new blood provided enough nutrients to contain the anemia problem and begin a slow recovery from some of my ailments.
By the end of the year my recovery allowed me to participate in light work details around the compound. About mid January
1943 I was able to go on details outside Bilibid prison. These were mainly cleanup details at Santo Tomas University and Japanese
headquarter buildings. On March 1 I was sent to Cabanatuan prison camp in Nueva Evicea Province to continue forced labor for the
Japanese Emperor.
Paul W. Reuter
516 Sandy Place
Oxon Hill, MD 20745-1430
301-839-7735
————————
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 17
~ Deceased ~
William C. Alford
Joseph della Malva
Trumansburg — William C. Alford of
4380 West Seneca Rd., Trumansburg,
passed away at Hospice Comfort Care in
Ithaca on Saturday, January 14, 2006 at
the age of 84.
Born on October 1, 1921 in Danville,
Kentucky, Bill was the son of the late
George and Sadie (Miller) Alford.
After attending high school in Burgin,
Kentucky, he enlisted in the Kentucky National Guard in July, 1939 and was inducted into federal service in November 1940,
along with the National Guard Company
stationed at Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Bill
served four years overseas with the
192nd Tank Battalion and was taken prisoner by the Japanese in April, 1942. After
surviving the Bataan Death March and 31⁄2
years as a prisoner of war, he returned to
his home in Kentucky after the war.
For his military service he received several awards and citations, including the
Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Presidential Citation. Bill was as life member of the
Arthur E. Bouton American Legion Post
#770 in Trumansburg, V.F.W. Post #961
in Ithaca, DAV NY2 and the A.D.B.C.
Bill attained the rank of Master
Sergeant and was discharged in 1946. He
later moved to Trumansburg, where he
was associated with the Chevrolet dealership in Trumansburg for 27 years.
In addition to his wife Mary (Jackie) of
60 years, Bill is survived by one son,
David (Helen) Alford; one daughter, Judy
(Chester) Houseworth; two granddaughters, Sarah Tomborelli and Melissa
Hamrick in the U.S. Navy; two grandsons,
Brian and Lucas Houseworth; three greatgrandchildren, Devon, Katlyn and Lauren
Hamrick; three step-grandchildren,
Russell, Wayne and Laurie Weaver; two
brothers, Robert Alford and John (Ollie)
Alford; one sister, Nancy (Fritz) McElfresh;
and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Graveside services, with full military
honors, will be scheduled and announced
in the spring of 2006.
In keeping with Bill’s wishes, no public
calling hours have been scheduled.
————————
Hello,
My name is Kim Burtle. I am the daughter of Helen and Joseph della Malva. Ms.
Linda Holms sent a Christmas card to my
dad and when I informed her about my
parents, she suggested I notify you about
them as well. I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know that my parents
have passed away last year.
Helen died February 8, 2005 from cancer. She knew for about 6 months and
was in hospice for about 5 months. She
only required our 24 hour care at home for
3 days and she passed away peacefully.
Joe died on September 5, 2005. He was
in hospice for about 3 weeks and had
round-the-clock care during that time. As
you may know, he was awarded the
Purple Heart and the Bronze Cross. He
was a Japanese prisoner of war following
the Bataan Death March. He had a military burial at Riverside National Cemetery.
Kim Burtle
3600 East 4th Street, #301
Long Beach, CA 90814
————————
Gerald C. Blackmer
Dear Mr. Vater,
Regretfully, I need to inform you of the
passing of my father, Gerald C. Blackmer.
It will be necessary to take him off your
mailing list for The Quan . My father
enjoyed this publication immensely and
then he would pass them on to me. My
father was a hero to many, but especially
a hero to me. I will miss him terribly but
his legacy will live on forever.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pat Bonner
18 — THE QUAN
Major Albert L. “Duke”
Fullerton
Major Albert L. “Duke” Fullerton of Lake
Park, Florida, a decorated World War II
veteran, passed away peacefully at home
on January 6, 2006, at the age of 92.
He was the husband of Alice Louise
Fullerton and also the late Florence
Farrington Fullerton. On November 5,
1913, Duke was born in Mars, Pennsylvania to Alexander S. Fullerton and Myrtle
Dean Fullerton. Major Fullerton lived in
Rochester, New York during his adolescence. He spent 13 years in the military.
He made Lake Park, Florida his permanent residence in 1955.
Major Fullerton is predeceased by four
of his brothers: Dean, Charles, Paul and
William. The Major is survived by his
spouse of 16 years, Alice Louise Fullerton,
brother James and numerous nieces and
nephews. While Major Fullerton had no
children of his own, he considered Alice’s
family as his “adopted family” with six surviving children, nine grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
As a member of the United States military for 13 years, which included two years
with the Naval Reserve, seven years with
the United States Army, and four years of
Civil Service, Major Fullerton was stationed
in the Philippines at Ft. William McKinley at
the outset of World War II. He was a survivor of the infamous Bataan Death March,
a 75-mile forced march that resulted in the
death of approximately 800 Americans.
Major Fullerton spent approximately three
and one-half years as a Japanese prisoner
of war and suffered many atrocities at the
hands of his captors. By the time of his
release more than 80 percent of major
Fullerton’s fellow captives had perished.
He was awarded the Bronze star, the
Prisoner of War Medal, the Philippine
Defense Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation
with two oak leaf clusters, and the AsiaticPacific Theater Medal with two stars.
After enduring eight years of hospitalization and medical treatment subsequent
to his release, Major Fullerton served as
Deputy Director of the Department of Civil
Defense in Palm Beach County until1978.
In his retirement, Major Fullerton was an
avid golfer and continued to remain very
active in the community. Some of the
organizations the major belonged to
include the Palm Beach Chapter of the
Sons of the American Revolution, American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor,
Battling Bastards of Bataan, Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 9610, Military Order of
Foreign Wars, American Legion, Sons of
Union Veterans of the Civil War, Disabled
American Veterans, Moose Lodge No.
2469 and parishioner of First Presbyterian
Church of North Palm Beach.
Major Fullerton was, to the members of
the Florida Chapter ADBC, either Major
Duke or just Duke. Either way he was a
respected member and asset to our
Chapter. He served as Commander of the
Chapter in 1979-80. Many of us kidded
him about his not being able to hold a
steady job in our Chapter. That, in view of
the fact that he served as Treasurer from
1980 to 2005, when the Chapter closed
its books. Twenty five years of dedicated
service. To say that Duke was popular,
well liked and respected just doesn’t
express our true feeling — we loved Duke
like a brother. We all miss you Duke!
————————
Abel A. (Chanen) Garcia
Abel A. (Chanen) Garcia, 87, a resident
of Albuquerque passed away and went to
be with Our Lord on January 13, 2006. At
his bedside were his nieces, Lucy
Gallegos, Martha Romero, Polly
Kassicieh; and husband, Naim; Mary
Macias; and his two nephews, Raymond
Lamberson and his wife, Emma, Ernest
Lucero and wife, Margaret. He is also survived by several other nieces, nephews,
cousins and friends. Mr. Garcia was preceded in death by his wife, Dolores
Cobley; his parents, Pedro and Margarita
Garcia; and eleven brothers and sisters.
He was the last of his generation. Mr.
Garcia was a member of the Catholic
Church, where he served as a lector, an
usher and he belonged to the Holy Name
Society and the Legion of Mary. He was a
Veteran of the United States Army and the
United States Air Force. He enlisted in the
New Mexico National Guard at the age of
18, in 1941. He was at Fort Stotsenberg in
Pearl Harbor with the 200th Coast Artillery
when the Japanese bombarded the
Islands on December 7, 1941. Soon after
he was transferred to the Philippines. On
April 9, 1942 General Wainwright ordered
his troops to lay down their arms and surrender. Abel participated and survived the
Bataan Death March and served 31⁄2 years
as a POW in Mukden, Manchuria. He was
released in August 1945 and spent nine
months at Bruns General Hospital in
Santa Fe, New Mexico. After his separation from the service, he attended Western
School and worked as a bookkeeper until
he decided to make the service a career.
Upon retiring from the service, he worked
at the Civil Service Administration
Hospital. Abel received the Purple Heart,
the Bronze Star, the Asiatic, the Pacific,
and the Good Conduct Medals for his
achievement in the Pacific Theatre.
————————
William F. Jeffries
Virginia Beach — William F. Jeffries, 85,
retired CW04, passed away Sept. 28,
2005. He died in the home he shared with
Edith, his wife of 60 years. Father of three,
he is survived by son, Curtis Jeffries and
his wife Karen and their daughters Katie
and Lara; daughter, Deborah JeffriesGlasgow and her son Jason; and son,
Todd Jeffries and his wife Ginger Fox.
Born in Holloway, Ohio, Dec. 26, 1919,
he joined the Navy at the age of 17 and
proudly served for 23 years. His first ship
was the USS Arizona. He survived
Bataan and Corregidor and a Japanese
prison camp for over 31⁄2 years. The Army
Presidential Unit Citation, with two oak
leaf clusters, the Bronze Star and POW
medal were among his numerous military
decorations.
He retired from the Navy in 1960 and
settled in Virginia Beach with his growing
family. His second career as CEO of the
Atlantic Fleet NORVA Federal Credit
Union lasted the next 25 years. He, his
wife and sister-in-law traveled extensively
through Europe. He was a member of several service-related organizations including the Fleet Reserve, U.S. Submarine
Veterans of World War II and the
Hampton Roads Chapter of the American
Ex-POWs. He enjoyed a full and active
retirement until tailing health left him bedridden the last years of his life.
By his side through his long final illness, were his sister-in-law and friend
Lousan Warner as well as his loving caregiver, Aysha Wilson Brown. Others left to
mourn his passing include many caring
neighbors and longtime friends. Their
support during a difficult time was invaluable and much appreciated.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation is made to the Dolphin
Scholarship Foundation, U.S. Subvets of
World War II Program.
The remains will be interred at a later
date during a private family ceremony at
Arlington National Cemetery.
He was a good man of quiet strength,
dignity and intelligence. We will always
remember him as a loving husband,
father and grandfather.
He was our hero.
————————
James Kellum “Jake” Levie
James Kellum “Jake” Levie, 90, of
LaFayette, GA, died on Friday, March 3,
2006. He was born Nov. 14, 1915 in
Atlanta. His later childhood was spent in
Korea, and he returned to the United
States to attend Berry School in Kentucky
and then the Georgia Institute of
Technology where he studied Electrical
Engineering and joined the Reserve
Officer Training Corps. In 1939, he
entered active duty in the U.S. Army
Signal Corps. He was stationed in the
Philippine Islands when World War II
began, and became a prisoner of war
when the American forces were surrendered to the Japanese in April 1942. He
survived the notorious Bataan Death
March, and three years of captivity in
Mukden, Manchuria before being liberated by Soviet troops in 1945. After the war,
he transferred to Army Counterintelligence with assignments in occupied
Japan, in Huntsville and in Birmingham.
In 1959 he retired from the army with the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Among his
military honors was the Silver Star,
awarded for actions against the Japanese
in the Philippines during the celebrated
withdrawal to the Bataan Peninsula in
1941. In 1960, he joined the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration at
the newly created Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville. He worked there
until 1986, rising to the position of Chief of
Security by the time he retired with some
46 years of cumulative federal service. In
1941, he married Avis Virginia Nash of
Atlanta, a union which lasted until her
death in 2005. During his retirement they
lived on a small farm near Huntsville,
where he tended his prized herd of purebred Angus cattle, indulged his lifelong
interests in the mechanical arts and agriculture, and shepherded his children
through school and out into the world.
Jake and Avis moved in 2002 to
LaFayette to be closer to relatives of their
generation. Survivors include their three
children, James K. Levie III, Harold W.
Levie, and Virginia A. Maloney; five
grandchildren, Julie C. Levie and Edward
J. Levie, Kelwyn M. Levie and Ryan E.
Levie, and James N. Maloney; two brothers, Dr. Walter H. Levie and Jim F. Levie,
and a sister, Jessie R. Gilreath and several nieces and nephews.
————————
Lance E. Loring
Lance E. Loring, 84, a resident of
Albuquerque for 52 years, passed away
on Tuesday, January 10, 2006. He succumbed to a stroke after a long courageous battle against Alzheimer's. He was
dearly loved and will be missed by his wife
of 58 years, Mary Jane; his two children,
Linda Smith and Lance, Jr.; five grandchildren, Michael, Matthew, Nathan, Christy
and Kelli; and one great-grandchild “little”
Lance. He proudly served his country in
both WWII (interned three years in a
Japanese P.O.W. camp) and the Korean
Conflict. After 20 years of service, he
retired from the Navy in 1960 and worked
for the FAA 16 more years. Lance lived his
life with the highest of moral standards, a
diligent work ethic, admirable inner
strength and strong dedication to his family. We forever thank you and will love you
always. Good-bye for now. Memorial services were held at French Mortuary,
Lomas Blvd. Chapel, on Wednesday,
January 18, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. Interment
followed at Santa Fe National Cemetery.
————————
Ray Makepeace
The soldier from Minneapolis, was held
prisoner by the Japanese for more than
three years, and at one point he was
ordered to act in a movie deriding the
United States.
By TRUDI HAHN
thahn@startribune.com
Soldiers held in Japanese prisoner of
war camps during World War II shared
similar experiences no matter what camp
they were in — scarce supplies of food,
water and medicine, and the spectre of
dead and dying U.S. soldiers.
Ray Makepeace experienced all of that,
plus he was forced to participate in a propaganda movie.
Held by the Japanese for three years,
four months and 14 days after he was
captured at Corregidor in the Philippines,
Makepeace died in his sleep Tuesday. He
was 90.
Born in north Minneapolis, he graduated from DeLaSalle High School in 1932.
Shortly after, he signed as a pitcher with
the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization, and spent three to four years in the
minor leagues.
By 1939 he had enlisted in the Army,
and in 1942 he was stationed on
Corregidor, an island strategically located
at the mouth of Manila Bay in the
Philippines. It fell to invading Japanese in
May, about a month after Bataan.
After about three years in the camps,
he was among 600 prisoners ordered to
act in a propaganda movie called “Down
with the Stars and Stripes.” It was intended to simulate U.S. soldiers being frightened of an air raid, he told Minneapolis
Tribune columnist George Grim in 1960.
The men, shoeless and dressed in
rags, were issued new GI uniforms and
equipment, which apparently had been
captured earlier. They were loaded in
trucks and driven into Manila, after stern
warnings about the torture that would
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 19
ensue if they tried to escape. They were
instructed to look up in the trucks as if
hearing bombs, then jump out and run.
Makepeace ran into a building. “Some
Filipinos followed me, handed me money,
shook my hand, crying,” he said in 1960.
“They thought this was a newsreel of the
arrival of the American forces and that the
war was over.”
The Japanese director didn’t think the
emaciated men had looked realistic
enough jumping out of the trucks, so he
ordered six more takes before ending
filming for the day. Makepeace never
learned if the documentary was finished.
Within a few months of the bizarre
moviemaking, Makepeace was on one of
the infamous “hell ships” that packed hundreds of men into holds where the temperature was 130 degrees. After a 22-day
voyage to Japan, he men still alive
worked as slave labor.
Makepeace’s job was in a lead mine
near Kamioka, Japan. When the atom
bombs were dropped in August 1945, the
prisoners were freed.
Terrible as the bombs were,
Makepeace was glad they ended the war
before the planned invasion of Japan.
“If we’d invaded, the losses would have
been inconceivable,” he told Star Tribune
Columnist Katherine Kersten in August.
“After the surrender of Corregidor, I walked
to the beach across bodies — little humps,
pieces everywhere. All across Japan,
that’s what it would have been like.”
Makepeace married his girlfriend,
Martha, in 1947.
After the war, he would talk about his
experiences to clubs and other groups,
and he met regularly with a group of survivors who called themselves “The
Barbed Wire Club.” They were featured a
few years ago in a documentary by that
name that was filmed by his son John, of
New Ulm, and a friend and broadcast on
Twin Cities Public Television.
Makepeace worked as an insurance
salesman for Phoenix Mutual Life, now
Phoenix Home Life. He retired in about
1980 and spent the next 20 years volunteering every Monday in the dental
department of the Veterans’ Administration hospital complex.
In addition to his wife, Martha, and his
son John, survivors include a daughter,
Mary Gilbert; sons Ray Jr., and Robert;
and 10 grandchildren.
Services were held at 11 a.m.
Wednesday at Immaculate Heart of Mary,
13505 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka.
————————
Joseph McKusick
Joseph Clarence McKusick, 86, passed
away Feb. 5, 2006.
Joe was born at the Eight Mile House,
three miles south of Santa Margarita,
California on November 18, 1919. A graduate of Atascadero High School, he attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo until joining
20 — THE QUAN
the California National Guard in Salinas in
1940. After being inducted into the Army in
1941, he became a member of the Co. C
194th Tank Battalion and was sent to the
Philippines. As a member of the 194th, he
was captured on Bataan in April of 1942,
survived the infamous Bataan Death
march and was a Japanese POW until
September of 1945 when he returned to
California as a Sergeant first Class.
He married his wife, Dora H. Cullen,
April 26, 1946 and began working for
Union Oil Company. They built a small
house near the Eight Mile House in which
to raise their two children, Pamela Jo and
Leroy Willard. After 36 years at Union Oil,
he retired and he and Dora traveled extensively, including a trip to the Philippines in
1981. Over the years Joe was involved in
the community, serving on the school
board, Scouts, and in later years with
Santa Margarita seniors and speaking to
local service organizations and schools
about his experiences as a POW.
He is survived by many friends and
family, including Dora, Pam Ramos,
Leroy and wife Lessie McKusick; grandchildren, Melanie Conrad, Shelly Morris,
Lacey Utter, Elton Ramirez and Shanna
Ramirez; great grandchildren, Adam and
Abbey Morris, Kailer Utter, Christian Akin
and Zabrina and Ravanne Ramirez.
————————
Alfred W. Mount
Retired Marine Master Sergeant Alfred
W. Mount passed away on October 3,
2005. Mount was a member of L Co., 3rd
Bn., 4th Marines on Corregidor and spent
40 months as a prisoner of the Japanese.
His 23 years in the Marines included
Korea where he became a member of the
“ChosinFew”.
Mount is survived by his wife of 43
years, Jean, and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Interment
was at Fort Roscrans.
————————
Felicisimo Pilola
The funeral for retired Command Sgt.
Maj. Felicisimo “Fel” Pilola was at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, oct. 18, 2005, from St. Michael
Catholic Church. The Revs. Joseph Pilola
and Kenneth Michiels and Bishop Sam
Jacobs officiated. Burial was in Leesville
Cemetery with full military graveside honors under the direction of Hixson Funeral
Home.
Mr. Pilola, 85, died Friday, Oct. 14, in
Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in
Alexandria.
He was a native of Tanauan Leyte,
Philippines, and a longtime resident of the
Leesville-Vernon Parish area. He was a
longtime member of St. Michael Catholic
Church and was a fourth-degree Knight of
Columbus with Council 4156. He was a
member of American Legion Post 145
and VFW Old Stage Post 33106, NCOAFort Polk chapter, and he was the executive director for the YMCA in Leesville. He
was a 30-plus-year veteran of the Army,
having served during World War II, Korea
and Vietnam. He retired in 1971 with the
rank of command sergeant major. He was
a survivor of the Bataan Death March.
He was preceded in death by a son,
Michael; granddaughter, Virginia Marie;
and parents, Basilio and Catalina Yepes
Pilola.
He is survived by his wife, Luz S. Pilola;
five sons, Roberto S. Pilola, Virgilio S.
Pilola, Phillip S. Pilola, the Rev. Joseph S.
Pilola and Patrick S. Pilola; three daughters, Leticia P. Sanders, Elizabeth Gorin
and Alice Funk; 13 great-grandchildren;
and 19 great-great-grandchildren.
————————
Michael Serra
Dear Mr. Vater,
Just a brief note to let you know of my
brother’s death.
Michael Serra left us on Feb. 24, 2006
in Pensacola, FL.
Thank you.
Ida Perez
————————
Charles P. Towne
Nancy Kragh and I were at Chuck’s
service on Monday and I would ike to tell
you that it was a fine tribute to a very
deserving man. There were many people
there and the memories shared were very
reminiscent of the time that I had the privilege of getting to know him on the trip to
the Philippines this past January.
He was a Mason and their brotherhood
did a special part of the service in what I
assume was a traditional ritual. The Head
of Veterans Affairs in the state of
Washington state spoke and also delivered a message from the Governor of
Washington. Apparently when Chuck
thought something was not right or could
be better, he was not slow to speak to the
people who could make the changes happen. He had a major influence in the state
of Washington obtaining the POW license
plates. The interment was with full military
honors and then all the Ex-POWs went by
the casket and left a small white flower on
it. It was obvious that many held him as a
very close friend.
I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck’s
family and his “special lady.” When he
would talk about her on the trip, I always
envisioned him as a King or Prince and
she as the Queen of the Castle. In fact,
she could have been a queen. She was
definitely special and someone that
everyone would love to now. Chuck had
in fact already talked to her about going to
Phoenix.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle. I
guess Chuck had talked with God and
mentioned that he didn’t want anyone crying or sad, so the normal rainy day was
missing. Many humorous moments were
had as remarks were made about Chuck.
It sounded as though he lived every day
as we had seen him live on the trip.
Smiling, twinkle in the eye, thoughtful,
stubborn, determined, wanting to enjoy
each moment to the fullest.
I had taken some pictures from the trip
to give to the family and while showing
them to his “lady”, a woman came by that
had asked Chuck to take a picture of her
brother’s name on the Cabanatuan
Memorial as the name had a MC in front
of it and should not have been there.
Chuck had asked me to take a picture of
him pointing at the name and I had that
picture with me. When she started talking,
I knew immediately what she was talking
about since I was supposed to have sent
the picture to Chuck for her. I was glad to
have been able to provide the woman the
picture and the realization that Chuck had
carried out her request. It was a very special moment to see the look of happiness
as she saw the picture and knew that
Chuck had not forgotten.
There were definite moments of sadness, but also moments of joy. The realization that Chuck was a church going
man and that he was at peace with his
Lord and in a wonderful place made his
passing a celebration. I left feeling sad but
happy and I know that in times of turmoil, I
will be able to remember the determination
of one man that had seen and been
through so much during the war. And I
know that Chuck will be watching over all
of us as we continue to learn about our
family members. Yes, and every time I
see Santa Claus, I will remember a man in
a maroon jacket with an Army hat with
medals and a twinkle in his eye and the
essence of life all around him.
A very nice tribute. Chuck died on
January 30, just after he returned from he
Philippines.
Linda McDavitt
————————
Mariano Villarin
Retired Philippine Scout Mariano
Villarin passed away from natural causes
at 92 on February 3, 2006 in Long Beach,
California. Born in Manila, he graduated
from Far Eastern University there with a
degree in business administration. A veteran of WWII, he survived the Bataan
Death March and POW camp, finally retiring from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1975
as a lieutenant colonel. Among his many
military honors were the Bronze Star and
the POW medal.
After his retirement, Lt. Col. Villarin, by
then a U.S. citizen, became a federal
auditor. In 1980 he moved from Minnesota to California and began working on
his memoirs. Lt. Col. Villarin was perhaps
best known as author of the book “We
Remember Bataan and Corregidor”. He
belonged to many veterans’ organizations, including the Philippine Scouts
Heritage Society and the American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. He
also was a witness for the prosecution in
the post-WWII trial of one of several
women broadcasting Japanese wartime
propaganda and known to U.S. servicemen in the Pacific as “Tokyo Rose”.
Lt. Col. Villarin is survived by three children, Corinne, Larry and Jeanette and
two grandchildren, Aaron and Rachel. His
wife Margarett predeceased him in 2003.
————————
Mansfield Robert Young
Mansfield Robert Young passed away
in El Rio, CA, on Jan. 24, 2006. He was
83 years young.
He was born in Meageath, WY., on July
24, 1922, to John Arthur Young and
Gertrude Ethel (Gray) Young.
When he was about 7 years old, his
family moved to Ventura County. Ever
since, he lived here most of his life.
Mansfield was a veteran of World War
II and an American defender of Bataan
and Corregidor, Philippines. He was a
survivor of the Bataan death march, and
spent 3 1⁄2 years as a prisoner of the
Japanese and working as a slave laborer
in the lead mines.
He also survived being in Japan when
the U.S. bombers dropped both atomic
bombs in Japan. He lost his final battle to
survive on Jan. 24, 2006.
He was a very special man, and a very
loving, caring, and giving father and
grandfather. Everyone who met him could
not help but to love him. He will surely be
missed.
His brother, John, and sister, Irene,
preceded him in death.
Mansfield is survived by his wife of 60
years, Betty Leta (Ralston) Young, who is
79 years young. Mansfield and Betty were
childhood sweethearts. After he came
home from the war in October 1945, they
were married one month later on
Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1945.
He is also survived by his eldest child,
son Robert Dale Young; daughters, Betty
M. LaRocco, and Bonnie S. Rivera; two
daughters-in-law, Alycia and Laura; two
sons-in-law, Thomas LaRocco, and Jorge
Rivera; grandsons, Shaun, Mitchell,
William, David Allen, Christopher, David
Dale and Joseph; granddaughters, Shelly,
Taylor, and Shannon; eight great-grandchildren; and cousins.
————————
Purchase Books
Dear Joe,
I just received a thousand copies, paperback, reprints on my book, OH GOD
WHERE ARE YOU? I’m selling them for
$22.95, includes postage and handling.
Also, I still have some paperback copies
left of my first book, GHOST OF BATAAN
SPEAKS. It sells for $17.95, postage and
handling included. Hope to see you at the
next convention (POW American
Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor).
George said he’s going too. Keep in touch.
Best wishes,
Abie Abraham, Msgt. U.S. Army, Rtd.
142 Hoffman Lane, Renfrew, PA 16053
————————
A Message from Duane
Judith and I do not expect to make the
Phoenix ADBC convention as you will
understand from the details below. A few
of you are aware of some of the below
details, but I wanted you all to know since
my communication will be limited ahead.
Upon our recent return from the
Philippines and Taiwan, where we were
involved in the dedication of two separate
Memorials to those who were on the hell
ships, Judith and I went into the hospital
for a full series of scans. It appears that
my difficulty in the Philippines with a persistent, continuing and heavy cough was
confirmed by the scans. My lung cancer
has returned. We are considering options,
but have turned down a return to chemotherapy. I am past operable or radiation
possibilities. We will probably go into a
limited clinical trial or most probably onto
a maintenance chemo oral pill. Either or
both will merely buy some time.
I am (I think) ready to handle this. I ask
for your prayers for Judith as she has so
very much on her plate right now — a
continuation of the ordeals since May 05.
We have two of our three daughters and
families nearby and we are smothered in
love by our praying church and friends in
and outside the POW community.
As you know this trip was important to
me for it gave me a chance to share with
many, particularly descendants, some of
my own feelings concerning “walking the
steps where our father’s and family
walked.” I had asked the medical people
to give me this trip and they did. Now we
will walk different steps.
Duane
————————
Searching for Information
Dear Joseph:
As an EX-POW out of the Philippines, I
received the following request from my
doctor, Dr. David M. Weston.
“Mr. Richards at (“Richards Antiques”,
Main Street, Camden, Maine 04843) lost
a brother in the Philippines after the
Bataan Death March. His name is “Gilbert
Richards”. He was wondering if you or
anyone of your acquaintances knew him.
If so, please write to him.”
Since I was a downed airman (19th
BBG) and captured before the Bataan
Death March, I am unable to help with
any information. I hope someone in our
membership can help and write to Mr.
Richards.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Joseph DeMott
2185 Kolb Drive
Lancaster, PA 17601
Tele: 717-392-1654
————————
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 21
22 — THE QUAN
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 23
American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor
2006 Convention
May 16 - May 21, 2006
$79/Night plus tax
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Reservations received after this date will be accepted on an
availability basis only and may not be eligible for the special group
rate.
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may be made by check or money order and must accompany this
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ATTN: Reservations
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Phone: 1-800-527-7715
Fax: 602-375-4012
Online reservations:
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Questions? Please call the Embassy Suites Phoenix North reservations department at 800-527-7715 — 7:30 am-4 pm Mountain
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24 — THE QUAN
Roster Survey
Over the years I, (Joe Vater), have been asked, “How many survivors of the
defense of the Philippines are still alive?” We can guess, but no one knows for sure the
correct number. Let’s try! In the fifty-nine years that I have been associated with the
ADBC, we have lost several secretaries to deaths. As a result, our membership list is
mostly those that are listed on our Quan mailing list.
As Chairman of the long range committee, I suggest that we have a survey to
receive information on the status of everyone on The Quan list. We need to come up
with a reasonable number. Please answer one of the following questions. We will keep
all information confidential.
Name of Survivor:_______________________________________________________
Age: _________________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Phone Number & E-Mail or Fax Number:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Unit in Philippines: ______________________________________________________
Rank: ________________________________________________________________
If we have any members who need
the help of a caregiver, please aid the
member. If you need additional space to
write another name, use additional paper.
It is important that we receive a reply
from everyone who wishes to continue
receiving The Quan. If you have no more
interest in receiving The Quan, let us
know.
To complete the project we have a
Defender volunteer by the name of Ms.
Dianne Harrill, Daughter of Leon B.
Lowman of the 454 Ord. 27th Bomb.
Please cooperate and send your survey
to Dianne A.S.A.P.
No one will be removed from The
Quan list unless you request it, or you
don’t return the survey to:
Ms. Dianne Harrill
5209 Pogue Street
Spartanburg, SC 29301
FAX 864-282-4975
POW Camps: __________________________________________________________
Widow or Next of Kin on Quan Mailing List or Relative’s Name (Descendant):
_____________________________________________________________________
Age: _________________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Historian, Organization, Author’s:
Full Name: ____________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Phone Number & E-Mail or Fax Number:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Type of Activity: ________________________________________________________
Others — Give complete information on the reason you are receiving The Quan:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Help! Help!!!
Each issue of The Quan has many
returns by the post office for members
who have temporarily relocated. The
member misses The Quan and we pay
75¢ for each Quan returned.
I suggest if you go away, have someone pick up your mail and hold it for you
or else re-mail it to your new address.
Your cooperation will be appreciated.
Joe Vater Editor
————————
If you are removed from The Quan
mailing list then you ask to be added,
there will be a $25.00 charge.
————————
Full Name: ____________________________________________________________
Organization: __________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Phone Number & E-Mail or Fax Number:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Remove — I have no interest in receiving The Quan:
Full Name: ____________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Do you know of any survivors who are not receiving The Quan who might be interested?
Full Name: ____________________________________________________________
Full Address:___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Phone Number & EMail or Fax Number: _____________________________________
BUY U.S.
SAVINGS BONDS
_____________________________________________________________________
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 25
Pre-Convention Registration
Please read:
For the ADBC National Convention in Phoenix during May 16-20, 2006, we must have advance information concerning
each person that will attend. NOTE: At the last two ADBC National Conventions many people arrived at the convention
without having pre-registered. This causes severe problems as we plan for the convention. Please submit the requested Pre-Convention Registration Forms so that we can reserve meeting and banquet rooms of adequate size, order the
correct number of banquet meals and print name tags in advance of the convention. Completed pre-registration forms
should be submitted NO LATER THAN three weeks prior to the convention. Your cooperation will greatly assist in making the Phoenix Convention a happy occasion for all.
The top form is for ADBC Members and their guests. All others use the second form.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ADBC MEMBER — REGISTRATION CARD
(Please Print Legibly)
First Name: _________________________________ M.I.: ____ Last Name: _________________________________
Nickname: (Submit if you want it on Name Tag) _________________________________________________________
Street (or P.O. Box): ______________________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________________________________ State: ________________ ZIP: _________________
Phone #: ( _____ ) _______________________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address: __________________________________________________________________________________
Your Unit in the P.I.: ______________________________________________________________________________
Name of one POW Camp to go on Name Tag: __________________________________________________________
List of persons attending with the member:
Full Name
Relationship
Attend Banquet Saturday night?
(Yes or No)
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Non-Member — REGISTRATION CARD
(Please Print Legibly)
(For use by Widows, Descendants and Others)
First Name: _________________________________ M.I.: ____ Last Name: _________________________________
Street (or P.O. Box): ______________________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________________________________ State: ________________ ZIP: _________________
Phone #: ( _____ ) _______________________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address: __________________________________________________________________________________
Full Name of former POW Relative/Friend: _____________________________________________________________
Your relationship to the former POW: _________________________________________________________________
The former POW’s Unit in the P.I.: ___________________________________________________________________
List of persons attending with you:
Full Name
Relationship
Attend Banquet Saturday night?
(Yes or No)
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________
_________________
____________________________
_____________________________________________ _________________ ____________________________
Return to:
John B. Lewis
16415 Jersey Dr.
Houston, TX 77040
26 — THE QUAN
Prosthetics of the Future Will
Mesh Body, Mind, Machine
By Mitchell Mirkin
Remember the 1970s TV show, “The Six Million Dollar
Man?” It featured a test pilot who suffered horrific injuries in a
crash and was “rebuilt” with bionic parts. This made him a
superman who could lift cars and leap 40 feet in the air.
The actual science of prosthetics has a more down-to-earth
goal: to restore independence and mobility to amputees and
enable them to do everyday things most of us take for granted
— walking, running, enjoying hobbies, using a pen or fork,
holding a child. But the technology emerging in labs today,
including several VA sites, is no less dramatic than that depicted in the old TV show.
Take, for example, the work of Dr. John Donoghue at
Brown University and VA’s Center of Excellence for
Rebuilding, Regenerating and Restoring Function after Limb
Loss in Providence, R.I. Donoghue has developed a system
called BrainGate that decodes brain waves — thoughts — and
translates them into computer commands. Early results show
that a quadriplegic can switch on lights and open e-mail using
only his mind. The system, which uses a tiny sensor implanted
in the part of the brain that controls movement, has huge implications for amputees. A person could simply “think” about moving his computerized artificial arm, and the thought could trigger the device to act.
The system still relies on wires hooked to the brain, but
Donoghue’s group and others pursuing similar work around the
country plan to eventually have a wireless system. Dr. Richard
Normann, the Utah bioengineer who developed the chip used
by Donoghue, is spearheading a $6.7 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health to refine the chip and explore
further uses for it. “To go from a bundle of wires sticking out of
somebody’s head to a totally implantable system that is invisible
will be a major advance in this technology,” he says.
‘Biohybrid limbs’
This research in “neuroprosthetics” is part of a larger trend
in prosthetics that aims to integrate body, mind and machine.
Dr. Roy Aaron, an orthopedic surgeon who directs the
VA-Brown center, talks of “biohybrid limbs.”
“Some breakthroughs may blur the distinction between biological and non-biological,” says Aaron. His center, established
by VA last year at the Providence VA Medical Center, is at the
front edge of a movement to create prosthetic limbs that function almost like natural ones.
Dr. Hugh Herr, director of the “Leg Lab” at MIT, is collaborating with the VA and Brown researchers. Herr was a champion rock climber who lost both feet to frostbite and went on to
become a top prosthetics engineer. His lab studies the intricacies of human walking and designs “smart” knees and ankles
that mimic real joints.
“These systems have to know how to walk,” says Herr. His
latest knee-ankle prototype has sensors that measure force,
position and movement and feed the data to an onboard microprocessor. The knee has an electromagnet and a frictionmodulating fluid that changes in milliseconds from an oil to a
near-solid in response to a magnetic field. The ankle may use
polymers that turn electrical energy into mechanical force, thus
acting as a sort of artificial muscle.
Herr envisions that in the future, “Amputees will be able to
traverse greater distances with less fatigue. Artificial joints will
be able to move like a biological joint.”
Two-way talk between brain, artificial limb
Herr’s model also uses “BIONs™,” short for bionic neutrons.
These microchips will be injected into residual leg muscles to
pick up movement signals from the brain and send them to the
artificial limb. Says Herr, “We need to have the amputee’s brain
control the artificial knee, to tell the knee that they intend to turn
left or right, or that there are stairs up ahead.”
BION technology, developed by the Alfred E. Mann
Foundation, also figures in an artificial hand invented in the VA
Chicago lab of Dr. Richard Weir. Sensors placed in existing arm
muscles will pick up brain signals. An external controller will use
“fuzzy logic” — the algebraic decision-making of artificial intelligence — to translate the signals into commands for the hand.
“We expect that for the first time in prosthetics history we will
have enough control sites to do more than just open and close
a hand — we should be able to control a wrist, a thumb, and
possibly even individual fingers on a hand,” said Weir.
According to Dr. Danielle Kerkovich of VA’s Rehabilitation
Research and Development Service, artificial hands of the
future will also feature sensory feedback to the brain. “It won’t
be just output — residual limb telling prosthesis what to do —
but also prosthesis reporting back to the chip [and in turn, to
the brain] what it did. So even if you weren’t looking at your
hand, you could sense that it reached down and grabbed a can
of soda.”
In fact, artificial hands of the future will likely contain not
only sensors to monitor the force of a grip, but also hot and
cold sensors that would even allow a user to safely prepare a
baby’s bath.
Tissue engineering to complement robotics
Along with advances in engineering and robotics, cuttingedge medical techniques being explored at the new VA-Brown
center promise to play a key role in 21st-century prosthetics:
■ Surgical techniques to lengthen the bone in the residual
limb will make it easier to fit artificial limbs and allow for greater
control and mobility.
■ Tissue engineering will help restore torn-up joints.
Techniques could include the use of biodegradable polymer
beads, smaller than a pinhead, which would release proteins to
trigger the production of cartilage and possibly bone.
■ Osseointegration — attaching prosthetic legs to a titanium
bolt placed directly in the bone — may avoid some of the problems of current anchoring methods, such as skin sores, sweating
and pain. Researchers in Providence, along with VA colleagues
in Salt Lake City and San Diego, are seeking ways to prevent
the infections that often occur with the new method.
Artificial eye on the horizon
The same chip being used as an interface between brain
and artificial limb may also help blind people see. Normann’s
group in Utah hopes to eventually implant his electrode array
into the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes
visual information. Video signal from a miniature camera
mounted in eyeglasses will travel through the electrodes and
excite specific neurons, resulting in an image for the patient.
A different approach is being taken by Dr. Joseph Rizzo at
the VA Center for Innovative Visual Rehabilitation in Boston.
His model is an artificial retina, designed to help patients with
macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. The system
bypasses damaged photoreceptors — rods and cones — and
electrically stimulates the remaining healthy cells of the retina.
Like other prosthetic prototypes, it relies on electrodes and a
chip to bridge the gap between body and machine.
Many other groups around the United States and Europe
are working on artificial eyes, with some experts even predicting a product on the market by 2010.
But as with all medical technology, bringing a product from
bench to bedside is a chief milestone but not the end of the
story. Researchers have to make sure the device works in the
real world.
Good examples are studies by Dr. Joseph Czerniecki at
VA’s Center for Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic
Engineering in Seattle, and Dr. Steven Gard at the VA Chicago’s
Motion Analysis and Research Laboratory. These researchers
are conducting some of the first rigorous trials of the C-Leg, the
current state-of-the-art computerized knee that has been fitted
on many Iraq veterans. The leg, which costs more than $40,000,
seems popular with amputees, but scant clinical evidence exists
to back its claims of easier walking.
————————
APRIL-MAY, 2006 — 27
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28 — THE QUAN
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